The Phantom Guardian
by QueenErynn
Summary: TLJ SPOILERS, Ever wonder if any of the students who followed Ben Solo to the dark side regretted their decision? Calliope once known as Nyx to her fellow Knights of Ren, was plagued with regret and escaped hoping to be of some use to the galaxy and fate sure has the best way to give the torn apprentice a chance. Possible Poe/OC, Kylo/OC... we'll see.
1. Cloaked

General Leia entered the Falcon's cockpit finding Finn, Rey and Poe conversing about the next moves of the resistance. Rey suggested Takadona and meet up with Maz. Finn mentioned the outer rim moons. Poe considered Hoth for a moment.

The Princess relied wholly on her cane now and could feel herself starting to fade but she wouldn't mention this to them-; they had enough to worry about.

"The Nubian system." less a suggestion than a command.

"General the Nubian system is abandoned and near enough to the First Orders main hold

planets." Poe replied gently taking note of her reliance on the cane.

"Then it'll a place they least expect." She replied.

It was partly strategy but the truth was she wanted to see Naboo again before she died and a voice was softly calling her there. Poe daren't argue with her as he and Rey began to put in coordinates for arrival.

When they arrived in the Nubian system Rey plastered her face to the viewport taking in the new system that always elated the desert flower. Leia rather did the same but a little more dignified knowing the destruction that once had threatened to tear the planet asunder. Though deserted and rather bombed out several structures remained intact. The remaining resistance gathered to talk about their plans. Chewie landed them in a clearing just outside of the city center. Leia took a deep shaken breath.

"Your home." the voice said to her.

Poe took the lead on their landing. She knew he was beginning to understand his leadership role.

"We stay in a tight knit circle. Make minimal sound. We don't know what's out there."

They left Chewie and Rey, despite her objections, on the falcon so they'd be ready to go at the drop of the hat. Their mission was to find shelter, the obvious answer being the ruins but even Poe knew that was asking for the First Order to come knocking. Slowly they ventured into the forest near by- it would provide ample coverage from the sky. The continued a slow and cautious walk but no matter how careful they were what came next was unavoidable.

A blaster's shot came right towards Poe who dove and yelled everyone to take cover. He shuffled General Organa behind a boulder while taking enemy fire. Storm troopers weren't telling them to halt or surrender- they were out for blood. Rose and Finn became pinned down between the troopers and Poe. The resistance outnumbered twenty to one. Finn yelled to Rey over their coms while Poe tried to cover them with cross fire. Leia put a hand on Poe's shoulder.

"We're going to be okay." She said mystified sensing but unable to pin down the strange pulsating heartbeat the force was giving her.

The Commander had to return to shooting troopers until he realized that they no longer advanced. Some kind of trick he thought, but Finn and Rose ran to meet him without any fire.

"There's a cloaked jedi out there!" Rose beamed.

Poe and Finn peeked beyond the rock expecting to see Rey, but there was only a figure cloaked in grey merely walking. Troopers were being brought down by a small flying rock. It burned through their armor, their blasters, and even a tree that got in the way. If a trooper got to close the rock would hurl back to the figure and into its hand to fend off the immediate threat.

"That looks like," Finn started.

"A lightsaber." Poe finished.

The two boys looked at each other troubled but excited. They stepped out to finish off the nearest storm troopers who had resumed advancing to their cover. The figure stood about ten feet away. A heavy scarf over the face, but the eyes-Poe could tell it was a woman no matter how well she tried to hide it. Her eyes were a deep violet like nothing he had seen in his travels, rather bewitching. The woman pocketed the stone in a metal orb.

He held up his blaster to the sky,

"Thanks for the help.." He started.

The woman looked past him,

"General Organa."

Leia was standing, barely- shaking- a realization washing over her.

"Welcome home." The figure said.

The two woman slowly approached each other. Poe hesitant keeping the blaster shyly aimed past the General. Leia's hand not gripped at her cane balled in a fist.

"Do they know each other?" Rose whispered. Finn shushed her trying to take a better look- the eyes drawing in a sense of familiarity.

For a moment it looked as though the General were about to strike the woman-even to the woman herself- but the Princess crumbled placing a soft hand on the scarf peeling it down. There were scars, not long like the one Rey had given Kylo Ren, but touches on her brow-cheeks-and neck. The violet eyes started to tremble and she fell to her knees,

"I am so sorry, Leia. I can never say that enough."

Poe approached the General with concern,

"General, what's going on?"

The General turned with a teary expression, but a smile on her face,

"Poe Dameron this is a friend of mine, and one of my brother's former students-Calliope."

Calliope's eyes widen with disbelief at the word friend, but more so she was shaken at the use of her name.

"I haven't been called that in a long time." The girl managed.

"Then we shall have to use it more often." Leia replied gently as the girl stood, "My dear girl what are you doing on this abandoned shell of a planet?"

"Hardly abandoned, General, merely in hiding." She almost grinned, "Follow me."


	2. Naboo Lives

As they followed Finn couldn't shake the feeling-; He knew her which was bad because most people he knew outside of the past month were of the First Order. She kept pace with Leia and they spoke softly to each other. Finn confided in Rose his misgivings.

"But she saved us. She can't be bad." The plumber said with a reassuring smile. Still the thought plagued him.

They came to a cave that could scarcely be called one as after a few steps they were at the back of it.

"Welcome to the Naboo stronghold." Calliope knocked on the rock which reverberated as metal.

The door rose from the ground and before them lay the remnants of Nubian culture and its people. They had crafted homes into the mountain decorating with what color they could find. The people were all smiling and curious about the newcomers. A child broke out in a run towards Calliope whom she scooped up with great joy.

"Guardian, the Queen has been expecting you!" the child said pulling Calliope's hood to her shoulders revealing short flayed layers of mahogany locks.

She sat the child down and met eyes with the group,

"To the Queen of Naboo, then."

Finn watched the cave door shuttered behind him. He told Rey their location and to be careful. He kept close to Rose as they delved deeper into the cave system. A tunnel led them out to a commander center, much like they had on Yarvin 4, but was decked out with a throne and a dainty young girl to sit upon it.

"Guardian!" The Queen greeted with delight, "You have brought us friends!"

Calliope took a knee in front of the girl-much younger than her,

"Not just friends my Queen, but some assembly of hope."

Leia stepped forward. The Queen of Naboo she had known was regal and much like what she imagined her birth mother would have been like. This… girl was just so, but she wore dresses wonderfully well.

"I am General Leia Organa of the Resistance, your majesty."

She could hear the murmurs build around her. Her name always traveled well and far in the galaxy.

"We heard you took great loses. I am sorry." The Queen gave an overbearing frown, "How can we the simple people of Naboo assist you?"

Calliope stood, "My apologies your grace but shouldn't we offer them some rest and hospitality?"

The girl made a squeal, "But of course! Please dear friends I do invite you to take rest here and any provisions we can spare, and then we shall talk."

Poe wanted to deject this offering- they needed to get to business. This Nubian stronghold could foster the spark of the new resistance, but Leia accepted with a trusting tone. Calliope brought them to a large room with bunks built into the wall and a table in the middle.

"Sorry this is all I can offer you," She nervously scratched her gloved right hand.

"Calliope, this is wonderful. Thank you." Leia took a seat resting the ache in her body, "Finn go get Rey and Chewie."

"The Falcon's here?" Calliope's tone took an up tip, "We can hide it in the hanger."

Poe's hands quaked once he stepped foot in the hangar. Twenty N-1 starfighters were parked in all of their yellow majestic beauty.

"If you help me scavenge some fuel we can take em for a spin." The girl almost smiled.

The hangar doors opened from above perfectly carved into the mountain side allowing the Falcon to hover and set easily in place. Rey hastily departed the ship,

"What happened! One moment you're taking fire and the next your fine?"

No one answered her as her eyes landed on Calliope. They both gave each other the strangest look of knowing and not knowing.

"I've seen you before." Rey said gently.

"And I you," Calliope replied, "But I can't place where."

"Neither can I." She admitted, "I'm Rey."

She held out a bare hand, and Calliope's gloved shook it. Rose took the initiative, after they returned to their shared quarters, of informing Rey on every detailed of what had happened,

"And Calliope came out of nowhere with her magical rock and!" Rose's energy over bounded her.

"Magical rock?" Rey questioned.

Poe chimed in, "Hey, yeah I meant to ask about that. Leia said you trained with her brother."

Calliope had been sitting in the corner listening to the retelling of recent events. Rey's doe eyes were now upon her,

"You trained under Luke Skywalker? You escaped Kylo Ren at the temple? Is that magical rock your saber?" the questions flowed out of her in quick succession yearning to know more of a possible companion that was just like her.

"I-I did escape." Was the best she could muster.

Leia took it upon herself to interject,

"Rey, we'll have plenty of time to talk. Let's rest and saver this moment." The old woman pleaded.

Quickly Calliope took her leave. Leaving Finn to grow even more in suspicion,

"Poe, I'm telling you there's something not right about this, or at least not about her."

Rey, Finn and Poe had gathered in the parked Millennium Falcon to discuss their growing concerns.

"I think Finn's right," Rey started, "I've seen her somewhere. If I could only place where."

"Naboo is ridiculously far from Jakku, but not impossible especially if she has a Starfighter." Poe replied not wanting to give in to the possibility that the one good thing that has happened to them in the past 48 hours- isn't actually good.

"I've seen her two." Finn reminded.

"Leia trusts her." This was Poe's last resort and quickest reply.

Rey had no reply to that, but Finn was quick to jump to,

"Do you remember her apology to Leia? What did she do? Why did she need forgiveness? Huh?"

"And if she really did train with Master Luke. She can help me. She could help us." Rey pointed out, "But we need to know who she is."

Poe agonized for a moment, "I don't want to stress the General out anymore. We all know she's fading." He bit his lip hating to even say those words, "We find out on our own. Talk to the people here find out that way."

"Agreed." Rey and Finn eagerly replied.


	3. Fact finding

The next morning, crack of dawn more like, Finn couldn't sleep-; He wandered into the center of the stronghold. Steadily the Naboo arose and began to flood the corridors. The first people he scared away because he was fiery and anxious. He worked his questions into conversation letting it come naturally,

"So that woman who save us, what's she about?"

Or

"Where does she come from?"

"How long has she been here?"

Finn listened meticulously to each word that fell out of their lips, but nothing came out that would lead anyone to assume she was malicious- in fact quite the opposite.

"Who, the Guardian? She's protected us since I've been here." one said.

"The Guardian, she's from here, least that's what I heard."

"Guardian, isn't she great?"

"She's a miracle that one."

"If you want to know more about Guardian ask her son." the last one, a young girl, said.

Finn met with Rey and Poe on the Falcon around midday.

"Did anyone else get anything other than that she's beloved by everyone here?" Finn asked hoping the two others had wriggled out some more useful information.

Rey and Poe shook their heads.

"I did get that she has a son, but no name."

Poe's head perked up,

"That boy she picked up when we arrived."

"But even he called her guardian. That's a little formal for a mother-son 't it?" Finn asked.

Rey shrugged her shoulders.

"Do we have any better ideas?" Poe asked running a frazzled hand through his dark curls.

They found the boy sitting at the stairs near the cave entrance playing with a makeshift fighter toy. Rey stood frozen the boy had deep black curls, a long face, and his eyes his eyes were soft brown.

"Rey," Finn nudged her softly.

Poe sat next to him,

"I flew one of those you know."

"Really, would you teach me how to fly?" the boy asked excitedly continuing to move the fighter through the air.

"With your mother's permission." he replied softly with a friendly smile.

The boy frowned crashing his toy to the ground, "She won't let me, and she's a better pilot than you."

"Oh is that right?" Poe laughed, "She a strict mother?"

"Yeah." he replied looking at Rey and Finn, "Did she save you to?"

"She did. She's a good person." the Commander said.

The boy smiled, "She is."

Rey kneeled before him ready to ask him his name when another boy around his age yelled for him to join their game of tag,

"Anakin, come on!"

This sent the three of them reeling as the boy ran off to play with his friends. They returned to the living space to find Leia resting.

"What now?" Finn asked alrighty defeated and as if he invented fire he turned to Rey, "Rey use the force!"

Rey gave him a raised eyebrow,

"I don't think that's a good idea." She didn't want to risk connecting with Kylo Ren.

Rose rolled off her bunk,

"Why don't you ask the Queen?" She rubbed her head sleepily.

"She wouldn't answer to us." Poe sighed.

"To Commander Poe Dameron, pilot extraordinaire, Leia's right hand? I think she would." Rose always had a way of making them feel more important than perhaps they felt themselves.

They looked at the sleeping General unwilling to reach out to her for a possible painful explanation.

Rose followed them to the makeshift throne room, but they slammed themselves against a wall. Calliope was before the Queen without her cloak, cowl and gloves. She held deep set scars on her exposed arms but her hands had it the worst. Poe looked on each one wondering how one would endure thousands of small cuts. It was Finn who took notice of the brand on the back of her right hand, the symbol of the First Order. He yanked each of them back into the hall taking deep breaths of recollection. Rose attempted to sooth him. Flashbacks of his time with the First Order struck him hard and those violet eyes seized him connecting the memories. Captain Phasma had introduced the violet vixen to a young group of stormtroopers. She had long hair then braided down her back, and no scars that he could think of. His mind was clouded on what she was there for, but it didn't matter.

"I knew I knew her!" he said panicked,"To the First Order that woman is Nyx of the Knights of Ren. They're probably plotting to call in the First Order."

"Knights of Ren." Rey repeated clenching her fists and recalling the boy with a twinge of …. jealousy.

"General Leia can't know this. She must be under some other kind of …" Poe was at a loss for words.

"Uh…. guys." Rose pointed their attention to the General who was ready to drag them all back by their ears like the nosy children they were.

"I'd like an explanation." The General said sternly after closing the doors of the Falcon. The four of them passed glances between each other. Poe cleared his throat,

"Respectfully General, so would we."

Leia simply raised an eyebrow. Finn took a step forward,  
"She's a Knight of Ren."

"She was." the General conceded, "Calliope was. She came back to the light six years ago. She reached out to me through the force." Leia held her head, "I felt her sorrow, agony and regret. She was the reason I held on to the thought Ben could come back for so long-; because she did. Once in awhile she would touch base with me, but it was so infrequent I never thought I'd see her again." Slowly she lowered herself into a seat.

Poe and Finn exchanged unsure looks about telling her of the possibility of-

"Did you know she has a son!" Rey's voice shook the cabin, "About six years old…named Anakin."

"A-anakin…." The General's head began to spin and all she could hear was Poe yelling to get a medic.

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Thanks everyone for the reviews and favorites/follows! I love to know what you all think and they drive me to write more! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	4. Nyxed

Calliope took off toward the medical wing after a citizen alerted the Queen to the General's state. Her heart was palpitating in her chest. No you just got here, stay with us she pleaded through the force. She entered the wing to find only Poe at the unconscious General's side. The doctors always had a maximum visitors policy. The young handsome Commander was looking over Leia like a lost son. He acknowledged her presence but nothing more. Calliope took up a seat across from him. His face was wiped of tears, but he was an emotional creature incapable of hiding his raw feelings.

"What happened?" She asked delicately.

It was then Poe's dynamic and hot blooded eyes locked with hers,

"The General found out a hard truth….Nyx." his voice cut deep- this was personal to him.

She swallowed knowing the remaining resistance had judged her now,

"Leia knew what I was, but-."

"Did she know about your son!" Poe asked with fervor, "It came as such a shock to her this is what resulted."

Those violet eyes widened,

"I was going to tell her…" Calliope's face hardened, "Who told you about my son?"

"Does it matter?" he replied, "Why did this information even put her in a state like this?"

Poe began to feel himself tremble.

"Technically, he's her grandson."

Their discussion was cut short by a severe panic in the halls. Voices yelling out for the Guardian. Poe and Calliope sprung into the hall. A young man took her by the hands,

"The first order has landed several ships along the forest. Three units and a commanding vessel!"

Calmly Calliope instructed the man to put the stronghold on lock down, reduce power and noise. Poe followed her,

"You expect to take on three units and a command vessel by yourself?"

Calliope kept walking. She came to a living space where her son and his friends were attacking each other with sticks. They came to a halt upon her entrance.

"Ani, command center now. Boys go home." She instructed grabbing her cloak and gloves. The boys took off. Anakin made no movement seeing Poe in the doorway.

"Take the pilot with you mama." his voice seemed to plead, "You can't keep going alone."

"Don't make me ask again." Calliope pulled on her gloves and attached the metal orb to her hip.

"You didn't ask." Her son replied peevishly. Calliope turned to her son with a mother's beholding.

Defeated he left the room giving a beseeching glance to Poe. Before the Commander could say anything.

"I don't need help I've done this before. Go be with your friends and the General and wait this out." her tone was forceful and it made his blood flare. She couldn't tell him what to do- she had no authority over him.

The moment Calliope stepped outside something triggered in her. She reached out seeing the units spread out in a typical formation, but beyond that- the commanding vessel- made her body quiver. Balor, a hulking mountain of man, a knight of Ren exited the vessel. Shit…

She'd normally pull her hood and scarf up, but it wouldn't matter he would know instantly.

"Don't take out the whole. They'll keep sending more ground troops." a voice said to her- a voice she trusted with her life.

Seamlessly she slipped past the ground units. She summoned the kyber crystal from it's pod using her much practiced hands to keep it steady and take out the troopers that remained with the knight.

"Well, well." Balor's voice hoarse accent rather burned her ears, "Nyx is still having kicks."

He tapped his battle ax against his thigh activating the kyber resistant ions.

"Yeah, well I couldn't just go off and die could I?" She replied half-heartedly activating the stone into a saber form radiating from her hand.

"Not before having my kid you shouldn't." the man snorted.

Calliope let out a viral cry charging at the man but her saber was recoiled by his axe. They clashed easily matched both using fury to power themselves. Both had been trained in the dark side, but Balor loved the feeling of power not the fighting that came with it where Calliope favored the fighting over the mere appearance of power.

"You're a weak brainwashed fool," She taunted.

Calliope faded back returning to strike faking an upper strike to take a slice at his leg. It didn't manage to chop the leg off but it came in at the knee.

"Whore!" Balor howled while swiping aimlessly. He pressed a button signaling the ground troops to return to him. She could feel all three hundred of them pivot towards their position.

"You were always a coward and a cheat." Calliope snarled.

"And you are a traitor!" he shrunk backward relying on his uninjured leg.

She still had time to end him and send back the ground units with a false report- they were weak minded enough. There was a low hum in the air as a N-1 Starfighter hurtled into view aiming fire at the commanding vessel Balor was receding into. One of the Commander's lucky shots set the vessel ablaze with the Knight inside. His anguished screams filled the air, and part of her wanted to end it for him with a quick stone through the heart-but he didn't deserve mercy, so she let him scream until the fire consumed him. It was then she noticed Poe Dameron had turned his fire to the ground troops ready to extinguish them all. He wouldn't be able to hear her, and she couldn't let him destroy them all. Calliope cast out her right hand towards the Starfighter. She could feel it reverberate against the force's grasp and Poe being alerted to the strain on the ship. Rotating her hand - the ship rotated. They at least faced each other now. Poe looked baffled as she brought the Fighter down from the air, and parked it gently on the ground. The Commander jumped out,

"What are you doing? I could of had them all!"

"I don't need you to get them all!" She started.

"Oh sorry great Guardian for helping you save the day!" Poe flailed his arms exasperated.

"It's not about that! If we kill all of these troops the First Order will know something is going on here, and they'll keep sending troops until we're overwhelmed, over run, and Naboo will be no more."

"And how do you expect to send back troops and not have them tell their superiors what the hell happened!?" Poe bellowed shooting his blaster at an approaching stormtrooper.

Calliope grinned a bit at his heated disposition,

"You won't like it but I am taking something directly from Snoke's book."

"Hey, you're the one getting us out of this mess." He nodded to the troopers on their approach.

"Just cover me in case I miss one of them." Calliope held out a curled hand, and the troopers etched to a halt. Breathe and let the light fade she told herself. "As long as you come back." The same voice reached out to her.

She touched each of their minds each of them weak minded, molded, and programmed as the First Order had wanted them- this made it easier for her. Calliope stood before Poe with an outreached hand that slowly twisted and laxed several times. He knew better than to say or do anything, but he watched her face crinkle in pain and her stone still floating by her side sparked and lashed out hitting the woman in the thigh-but she didn't feel it-; she wasn't with Poe.

Oddly, he understood what she was doing altering their memories a very dark act indeed. The last of the units filed into their craft. One picked up the remnants of Balor's axe before boarding a ship. Calliope fell to her knee's taking deep breaths muttering, "I can come back." Several times before opening her eyes the deep violet striking the air like a blade. Standing she now noticed the gash in her thigh.

"Man am I glad you're on our side," Poe approached ready to help escort the injured Guardian back to the stronghold- hand extended, "You are on our side aren't you?"


	5. The Knights of Ren

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren stood on the bridge of an acquired destroyed named Languish. All around him the First Order buzzed like a hive, and they all revered him now as Supreme Leader. Before Kylo Ren had a sense of command enabling him to order around most of the First Order, but now he had all of it and although it did not bring him the immediate release nor did his crippling loneliness cease like he thought it would-with time it would. Hux had gone off to deal with securing more resources. For a moment his mind flickered to the young scavenger who had heaved his proposal to the side and left him once more defeated. He was so sure she would take his hand. The look on her face those sweet brown eyes welled up with tears-

"Supreme Leader." an officer's voice pulled him away reflection, "We've had a very disturbing holocom for one of our deployments in Mid-Rim."

"Well, what is it?"

"Knight Balor seems to have died due to a lighting storm on the planet he was scouting." the officer reported, "Most of his units have returned to their destroyer- Hostile.

Kylo Ren flinched. Not that he had forgotten about the other knight's under his command-rather he had lost track of them as Snoke kept them all scattered on different missions.

"A lightning storm killed one of my Knights?" He fumed. The Officer nodded seeing the tension build,

"That is what all of the remaining troopers report, sir. A freak lightning storm on the planet Naboo."

Kylo sent the officer away not particularly bothered by Balor's death-; he was a weak tool who easily crumbled under anyone's influence in order to put himself in good graces. This made him think on the other Knight's and how he needed to know exactly what each them were up to. He entered his in progress throne room sending the workers away. It wasn't a command center's like Snokes on StarKiller Base with officer chairs spiraling outward no this would be a throne room meant for him. The room was the epitome of darkness with only false light bedecking the walls ever so faintly. His throne wasn't ready yet, so he sat before it in a meditation, and called out to the Knights of Ren.

Slowly four images appeared before him all masked or hooded like he himself had once been.

Ares, a boy picked up my Luke Skywalker from one of the resistance families, was of average build and had no out crying features. This worked well in his favor to slip in and out of unwanted places more a spy and informant than knight. Ares greeted him with a curt but formal nod.

Camulus, was an apprentice before even the boy Ben had joined the temple, he was stockier and his fists were something to be avoided. He greeted Kylo Ren with a raised First Order salute.

Shen Cha, came from a strange and distant outer rim planet, he was slim like a fine toothpick. This made his enemies underestimate him, and it was always their downfall. Shen Cha gave a respectful waist deep bow.

Shinto, was Shen Cha's twin a silent and scholarly being-; he greeted the same as his brother.

Kylo Ren's mind knew it could not reach Balor, but there was one more he couldn't seem to reach.

"Where is Nyx?" He asked frustrated.

Each of the man looked at each other than back to their leader with an air of bewilderment.

Shen Cha was the first to speak up,

"Master Kylo, did Supreme Leader not-"

Kylo cut him off instantly,

"Supreme Leader Snoke is dead. Murdered by the resistance! I am your new Supreme Leader."

The Knights exchanged unknowing glances and Camulus spoke up,

"That may be but what we're trying to get at." Camulus had always spoken to him like an older brother who knew everything, "Snoke killed her six years ago."

A ripple came through him,

"What?"

"Shinto was there. He can tell you." Camulus craned a neck over to the quiet brother.

Shinto didn't speak but he reached out into Kylo's mind showing him-;

 _Shinto was staunchly holding Nyx before Smoke. She looked weak, drugged and had a draped arm over her stomach like she was wounded, but Nyx was never afraid and she let it be known in her voice-unwavering and ferocious,  
_ _"If you think I'm going to keep doing this you underestimate how much I fear you."  
_ _Smoke deeply chuckled,_ _"My dear, how I have always enjoyed your spirit. I'll remind you I can continued project Rebrith with or without you, child."_

 _Nyx broke away from Shinto staggering leaving the throne room looking subservient and defeated. Snoke seemed placated with her silent exit but then in an instant his mannerism changed,  
_ _"After her!" Snoke commanded, "She does not leave."_

 _Despite her disheveled appearance Nyx was already out of Shinto's immediate site. Snoke spoke to him of the urgency of catching her. The Knight of Ren took to the bridge telling the ships commander to lock down all hangars and corridors, but it was too late a single tye fighter was out. Snoke SCREAMED over the comm line_ _"Take that fighter down!"_ _With two ventral cannons hits the tye fighter exploded._

Shinto returned them to the present still ever silent. He had too many questions quelling his soul like how strange it was that she took a tie fighter, she never was a pilot.

"That'll be all." Kylo Ren detached himself from them. Images of Nyx played through his mind- her long braid falling out when her hood came down, and those luminous violet eyes. She was the first to join willing to do anything and everything fearless of the consequences. They had become attached to each for a short while it was probably the only time he felt a small delve in the loneliness aside from his brief connections with the scanvegar, but it didn't last long when Snoke sent them to opposite ends of the universe. He didn't know why it mattered their relationship was purely carnal especially for her. The project name stuck with him though. He grabbed the first officer he came across,

"I want any data on Project Rebirth."

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Thank you for the continued reviews 3!


	6. Dialogue

Calliope leaned on Poe as they entered the stronghold. She didn't need his support from the physical wound, but the energy she wasted it wasn't bearable on her own. The lights were dimmed and all the Naboo were resting peacefully knowing their Guardian would take care of them- not even guards stood at posts. Only one nurse was in the med wing when they arrived and she was stone cold asleep near General Organa's bed whose monitor was beating at a comfortable pace. Calliope took a seat digging around for a cooling pack as the wound had been instantly cauterized, but still her flesh felt boiling to the touch.

Poe took a seat between her and the General fixating on what he was going to say,

"Look…" He offhandedly started, "To me you've proven to be somewhat good. At least to the people here. They revere you like some kind of Goddess, but I need you to look me in the eye and tell me that this resistance is safe here."

Calliope twisted in her seat facing the Commander fully forgetting to put the found ice pack on her throbbing wound,

"Commander Dameron, all I have ever wanted since my son was born was to right the so many wrongs that I set into motion." Those eyes drew the pilot inward and he felt sincerity and assurance resonate through her voice, "You and the resistance are safe here."

Poe drifted back into his seat adjusting his posture…

"The General said you trained with Luke Skywalker, but she seems to have a personal attachment to you."

Calliope laughed lightly, "You sound rather jealous Commander. Almost like you where her son and not…" she drifted from the sentence, "You're curious and I understand that but-."

She caught Rey and Finn entering the room. Both looked prepared for confrontation. The way Rey looked at her with a sense of disgust and resentment while Finn just appeared to be irritated.

"I-I need to go get my son." She stood stronger now on her legs, "Please let me know when the General wakes up."

The pair let her pass. It was Rey who rained down on Poe first,

"You syphoned fuel from the Falcon!" She didn't let him reply, "After what we've learned about her you went out there to risk your life? She could have killed you, said it was a stormtrooper and then come after us!"

Finn put a hand on Rey reeling her vivacious demeanor back and allowing their friend to explain.

"I syphoned feel from the Falcon because it's easily the most recognizable ship in the galaxy, and she didn't kill me and she won't. She not only saved the stronghold, but she also made damn sure troopers aren't going to be bothering us for a while."

"So that's it you trust her now?" Finn curled his fists, "She was not only First Order but a Knight of Ren – the worst of the worst."

"Who also in this room came from the First Order?" Poe stood feeling a touch of anger.

"I was made to. She chose it." Finn whipped back.

"She also chose to come back!" He was yelling now, "Just like you chose to stop following your programming."

"Jeez, with all this yelling I thought the universe sent me back to my twenties." Leia's voice called.

They rushed to her bedside. Rey practically knocked over the slumbering nurse. Leia put a soothing hand on top of Poe's.

"Thank you for defending my friend." Leia weakly smiled.

"General, we just want to understand." Finn said tenderly.

Leia sighed and began to tell them only what she knew.

* * *

Anakin was fast asleep when Calliope entered the command center. The few awake gave her a clap on the back and a smile. The Queen's throne-empty- showing the young girl's assuredy in her Guardian, but oh how Calliope lingered on it. Images of herself there burst before her eyes. She wouldn't need to be dotted on by any guards, she would attentively listen to the councilors, and she could most certainly pull off the dress with a sense of maturity and regality were the current Queen lacked the latter.

"That's not you." a voice said.  
Immediate and embarrassed Calliope picked up her son and journeyed to their home.

The home was not dissimilar to every other home carved into the mountain. Anakin's toys were dispersed across the floor. They each levitated and returned to their rightful place on the shelf next to his bunk. She laid him and turned to her own bed her body aching out for rest, but she refused it seeking the washroom and blistering hot water to think. Seeing her scarred arms and leg scars meant nothing to her. It was the long scar across her midriff that appeared perhaps faded to others but Calliope could still feel the blood pulsating there as if newly healed. She sunk onto the floor pulling up her knees letting the water spill over all of her.

"I'm sorry I still feel it," She said aloud, "The pull... the want… the hate… the darkness."

"You're doing it, and you will rise above." the voice called out.

"Will I?!" She looked up tears over spilling. She knew no one would be there, but she still hoped for some more comfort and affirmation- none came.

* * *

 _Muahaha so many wonderful mysteries_


	7. A Request

Leia Organa Solo was a fresh mother when she arrived in the Nubian system. She had dreaded leaving her son and husband behind, but the planet her mother had called home was in catastrophe. Naboo had been a loyalist planet as that was where Emperor Palpatine originated from, but good people still thrived on the planet, and she was determined to help them. Queen Sosha Soruna had a long slender face covered in traditional Nubian face paint- white powder and a fine red line down her chin, fierce eyes, and the disposition of a battle ready monarch. She greeted Leia with a deep embrace.

"I know you were asked here to assist with what my advisors are calling Project Cinder, but there is something a bit more delicate that I wish to speak to you about."

"Of course your Majesty."

Queen Soruna urgently pulled on her arm, "This way."

They left the main palace diverging into the servants quarters. Leia could sense an odd albeit weak shift in the force. The Queen led her into a broom closet of a room where a small cradle was nestled.

"I-i," Leia started to express her confusion.

Soruna gently picked up a bundled baby, "This is Calliope and she is very special."

"Are you not allowed to have children during your term as Queen?" She asked.

A soft chuckle came from the Queen, "My apologies, Calliope isn't mine."

The babe reached out a wee hand towards her. Leia leaned in taking in the child's dynamic violaceous color.

"Calliope's birth surname," The Queen hesitated, "Is Palpatine."

Dithered, Leia took a step back. The child was of course innocent and blameless, but how quickly could that turn. Soruna could sense her apprehension,

"Her parents were executed when we took Naboo back from it's militarization. I saved her."

"That was very noble of you." Leia chose her words carefully.

This time the Queen's laugh was trickled with sadness,  
"It was actually selfish in a way. I assume you do not know much Nubian history?"

Leia confirmed the Queen's assumption with a nod.  
"There's an old prophecy that a great Queen will arise and one shall know her for her eyes will be a Nubian sunset.  
Soruna beckoned behind Leia to see the setting sun. After a clash of blue and red her breath was taken away by the vivacious violet sky. It was beautiful to behold, and Leia couldn't help but think of her mother and how many of those sunsets she had seen.

"It's a silly thing I know, but I also...just couldn't let them strike her down."Soruna took the child back from Leia gently, " We are in a ruinous state Senator Organa even when we deal with this atmospheric turbulence. Naboo deserves peace and prosperity the right way. The people yearn for it."

"But her lineage. She will never be elected. I also don't understand why you have brought this to me."

"No one knows there was a child, and I planned to give her my surname when the time is right." Sosha stood shifting the child in her arms, "I bring you into this because I know your brother may be planning to take on students." She eyed Leia, "I know you have felt it. Even so tiny this girl and the force are intertwined."

"You want my brother to train the grandchild of the man who enslaved the whole galaxy?" She felt disgusted now.

Sosha's eyes narrowed, "Names don't make children into their elders."

This drew Leia back. Her own birth father had been to the darkside and back. She herself was raised in the light, knowing right from wrong. The Queen held out the babe to her, and unsteadily she took her. She felt a strange correlation between her own child and this girl. Both had steep lineage in the darkness, but if they didn't know it and were raised like she had been there wouldn't be a fear in sight. Leia knew she would have to argue with Han about not telling their son about his grandfather.

"If I am lucky I'll be re elected for another two terms and I can keep her until then. Then would you consider taking her to be trained as a jedi?"

"I don't see why she needs to be trained." Leia responded.

Sosha's eyes glimmered, "Naboo needs to change from having women who look phenomenal to women who are phenomenal. The Queen's during the galactic conflict were mere figure heads. They need to be like your mother. She was fierce and strong willed, but she also had training just like me. Perhaps not as a jedi but you understand."

Leia watched how closely they listened. Each of them fell on her every word until she was finished,

"I came back to Naboo when Soruna's terms as Queen was over. Calliope was a young wild albeit bright child, and to herself she was a Soruna not a Palpatine- to my knowledge she doesn't even know. I brought her to Luke as Sosha had requested of me. And-"

"And then she turned to the dark side." Rey said bitterly.

Rey took the room in slowly. Her friends voices slowly muted to her as they commenced a barrage of questions on the General, and there he sat brooding on a bench. She didn't say anything nor would she. If she didn't acknowledge him he wouldn't look up and perhaps the connection would cease. She did wonder though what he would think of being a father since he had murdered his own.  
"Rebirth, means rejuvenation-comeback-revival." Kylo Ren chewed on his cheek. He knew the scavenger was there, but he neglected to address her out of spite.

Rey left the vision with the words plugged into her head,  
"Rebirth…." Rey said aloud.

"What did you say?" Calliope's voice tore through the room like an explosion.


	8. Connections

"Nothing." the young jedi lied. Finn and Poe gave her looks of disbelief. Calliope's eyes narrowed as she entered the room.

"I heard you." She started.

"That doesn't mean it was meant for you." Rey snapped.

Calliope gloves wrinkled and unwrinkled in her hands, "The word you said. Why was it apart of the conversation?"

Leia, Finn, Poe and Rose all felt the urge to ask why as well. The word had nothing to do with the questions each had been asking each other for the past twenty minutes. Rey stumbled for words, stumbled for comebacks, but Finn came to her aid.

"The General was telling us you were born here."

Calliope gave a skeptical eye.

"We were all a bit curious." Poe added. His voice seemed to ease her tension. Her violet eyes fixated on Leia.

"You told them about me?"

"They found out some of it on their own. I connected the dots for them." The General's voice was strained.

Calliope took a deep swallow,

"I just wanted to inform you that the Queen would like to speak with you when you are well enough to leave the med wing." She pivoted on her heel and left.

Soon after the doctors shooed the resistance away to let Leia rest. Finn, Poe and Rose all headed back to their living space, but Rey made her way to the Falcon. She sat in the galley tinkering with her broken lightsaber. She felt it then the ship seemed to melt away before her eyes revealing a meditating Kylo Ren. Their eyes met and she strained to pull away from their connection.

"Don't." his soft voice implored, "I'm reaching out to you."

Rey's chest heaved, "I have nothing to say to you."

He grimaced at her spite, "I want to meet."

"Not on your life!" She yelled standing.

Kylo Ren closed his eyes almost smiling, "I can feel it. The hate within you." slowly his eyes opened, "You owe me one."

"I owe you nothing. I could have killed you when I woke up."

"But you didn't!" he viciously pointed out matching her stance. He could see the broken saber in her hand, "No one's going to know how to fix that but me." His grimace made her stomach turn, "Meet me and I will show you."

Rey went to shout at him a vulgar reply but violet eyes turned the corner of the Falcon's hull. Kylo Ren turned not seeing anything of course but he could feel a chasm in the force- in the outline of a person. The chasm was familiar to him. He waited for Rey to greet the other person so he would know, but she remained staunchly mute. It was odd the pull of the force gave off an ominous and struggling vibration.

Calliope could sense him and it made her arm hairs stand to point. She said nothing. To him she was dead, and she planned on staying that way. She could tell Rey was battling to end the connection. The girl's met eyes and Calliope teachingly mouthed for her to breathe and push him away.

"Just breathe." Rey muttered. She focused keeping her hands at her side to concentrate on mentally pushing him away. Kylo Ren contested her wanting to keep the vision intact until he convinced her to meet him. He watched the ripple in the force move closer to Rey and in doing so strengthened Rey's spiritual push against him, ending their meeting.

The scavenger fell back against the seat behind her.

"Why, did that take so much?" her breathing a harsh rasp, "Before they would end on their own."

Calliope tentatively sat across from her quizzically eyeing the girl before replying, "He was grounding the bridge with his want." She waited for her to calm down, "How long has that been going on?"

"A few weeks. Snoke said he was the one who connected us."

Calliope receded into her seat thoughtfully. It was Rey now searched her.

"Why did you come to the Falcon?"

"Probably one of my favorite memories is on this ship," Her fingers glided across the table, "General Organa and Han Solo picked me up in the Falcon."

Rey flinched at Han's name.

"How did you come back?" she asked softly only a bit of sourness in her voice.

Calliope held her marked hand, "I would show you rather than tell you."

The scavenger looked open the hand with a hesitation of knowing ready to place her bare hand open on the guardian's.

"You might not like everything you see." Calliope warned.


	9. Answers

Calliope breached their minds displaying vivid images before Rey. Her voice narrating-;

 _An adolescent Calliope sat before a golden vanity allowing the woman behind her to intricately braid her wild chestnut locks. Her eyes voluminous and sparkling despite her sour demeanor._

"I was a very spoiled child. I wanted for nothing until the day came when my mother told me I was leaving home."

 _The young girl's arms were folded.  
_ _"Are you paying attention Sunset?" the former Queen tugged on her hair, "You'll have to do this on your own there." Sosha Soruna had always recited how important styling was no matter the occasion.  
_ _"I still don't understand why I have to go." Calliope scowled.  
_ _"When I was your age I trained as a fighter pilot." Sosha finished the braid placing a kiss on top of her head.  
_ _"You got to go home at the end of the day." the girl grumbled._

"I was full of bitterness towards my mother, but also I was afraid. I had never known anything beyond the warm embrace of Naboo."

 _The room phased into a hangar. A middle-aged Leia and Han stood before the Millenium Falcon. Sosha and Leia embraced in their reunion. Leia's eyes lingered on Calliope,_ _"My how you've grown." As they shook hands._

 _"My mother has told me so much about you Senator Organa." She politely replied._

 _Sosha scanned the duo, "Weren't you also taking your son to Luke? I'd like to meet him."  
_ _Han leaned back into the Falcon, "Ben, get down here!"_

 _Lanky and awkward with freshly cut hair exposing his ears Ben Solo trudged down the Falcon's ramp._

 **Calliope could feel Rey clench in a flurry of emotion**

"Ben and I should have found common ground in the fact that we were both being sent far away from the people's whose love we craved the most. Instead…."

 _The Jedi Temple was now before them, unburnt. Ben and Calliope were sparring each other within an inch of their lives. When they sensed Master Luke approaching they lightened up on each other, and then returned to attacking each other with intense fury upon his departure._

"We lit a fire in trying to outdo the other. Who could be the stronger? I matched him until one day he took me to the ground with such ease I couldn't believe it. I had to know where it came from."

 _Calliope escorted Ben everywhere he went until he answered her.  
_ _"There's a voice in my head!" He yelled finally frustrated by Calliope's relentless personality._

 _Calliope folded her arms in disbelief and then her face morphed into a panic._

"Snoke spoke to me then. Promising me all that he had promised Ben. I told myself if my mother wanted a protector for our home world. She was going to get the strongest one possible no matter what. And thus began my tumble into darkness…"

 _Images of the Temple burning, something Rey had already seen played out before her. This translated into Snoke's throne room and Calliope before it bedecked in midnight robes. She kneeled removing her hood, and the intricate braid her mother had taught her falling to her back._

 _"Rise Nyx, apprentice of the night." Snoke's voice echoed._

"My original mission was to find force sensitive children. I went to different planets, moons, and I even made regular checks among the stormtroopers. When I did find the rare blink of sensitivity I presented them to Snoke only for them to refuse his teaching, and I had to snuff them out."

 _Several planets played out before them._ **"Jakku…" Rey's thoughts brought them to the desert planet.**

 _She could see herself in the background of Nyx's interrogation of Unkar Plutt. Unkar Plutt had pointed out all the children. Her eyes did fall upon Rey, but she shook herself as if she'd imagined it. The knight left, taking none with her._ _Nyx returned to the star destroyer overhead and into Snoke's throne room where he loomed over her in person while she reported her unsuccessful trip to the planet._

 _"I think it's time we begin another project, my dear, one that will perhaps be more successful."  
_ _"I agree, Supreme Leader."  
_ _Snoke chuckled, "If only all my apprentices were so fearless and willing." He stood summoning her to stand as well, "Tell me what do you think of your mother?"  
_ _"Other than the fact that she started me on this path I haven't thought on her since I left the temple." Calliope was quick and sure to answer.  
_ _"But she's not your mother…. Is she?" Snoke questioned.  
_

 _The force sent a tremor through the past and the present._

 _Nyx gave the man a look of complexity, "If you mean she is not my birth mother I am aware."  
_ _Snoke took a deep chortle pulling from the girl's thoughts, "But you were always a Soruna." He clicked his tongue, "My dear girl how much more important can you get than the daughter of a former Queen?" His question rhetorical, "No your lineage is vastly more prominent than some figure head from one planet. You, my faithful apprentice of the night derive directly from Lord Sidious himself."_

 _"The Emperor?" She recalled her history lessons from Naboo.  
_ _"Indeed, I'm sure your expensive education probably veered you to think of him as a monster? To people like us rich and powerful in the dark side. He was a visionary."_ _Snoke circled the girl, "Do you know of Kylo Ren's lineage?"_

 _Her body seemed to tingle at his name, "I do." She remembered his prized possession._

 _Snoke returned to his throne a sickening grimace on his face._ _"Let us talk of Project Rebirth."_

"I remember this as the first time that any inkling of question rose within me. He wanted me to mother a new generation of force users that the universe wasn't producing readily enough for him. Snoke was in my head and he knew the tremor of hesitation. He persuaded me with images I never thought possible. I became soothed and placated by the idea of children. Teaching them the ways of the force- bringing them up on my home world the new center of the First Order. I went to Kylo Ren…. on more occasions than I can count. When I finally did become pregnant with a child Snoke sent Ren to the opposite end of the galaxy while I remained cooped up in Mid-Rim constantly growing restless aboard my star destroyer."

 _Nyx sat in front of a console tapping downward through a list of projects until she came upon Rebirth … in detail. Each Knight of Ren's genetics were broken down and analyzed matching them up with the girl. Ben was first and that file was marked 'in progress'. Balor as marked 'next' and so on until the last being Shinto. Nyx took both fists slamming them down on the console with such power and rage it destroyed the computer, and the energy took so much from her she passed out._

"I remember waking up in the med-bay alone but also not. It was the most amorphous and powerful thing I ever felt. He spoke to me softly telling me I could come back from all of this. That I still had a choice, but I felt so trapped."

 _A tall robed man with shaggy hair, a scar across his eye, and a robotic right arm stood before her bed in a blue haze.  
"_ _Don't worry that shell of a man, Snoke, can't sense me." He comforted.  
N_ _yx took a deep breath positioning herself upward, a protective hand over her stomach,_ _"Who are you?"  
_ _"I'm someone who cares about you and your son."_

 _She gave a hitched breath, "S-son."_

"I didn't believe him at first, that I could come back from all the suffering and destruction I had reigned across the galaxy, but the more my son grew inside me the more the man haunted me, and Snoke could feel my deference rising."

 _Nyx stood before Snoke, a mere hologram. A man cloaked as she was holding her up right. She was ready to be due any day, but her crippling pain didn't stop her from arguing with a man who held her life in the balance.  
_ _"If you think I'm going to keep doing this with others you underestimate how much I fear you."  
_ _The man outlined in blue stood protectively behind her, encouraging her, but also cautioning her to save her strength and think of way out that wouldn't harm the child._

 _Snoke gave a deep sickening laugh, "My dear girl, how I have always enjoyed your spirit." He leaned forward in the throne, "I'll remind you I can continue Project Rebirth with or without you." Snoke scoffed, "Child."_

 _Nyx reached out to the man behind her pleading for guidance willing to do anything._

"He tried to convince me to steal a tie-fighter. This was until I admitted to him I had no piloting skills what-so-ever. We hatched a plot right then and there, so instant not even Snoke caught on."

 _Nyx did hide in the star destroyer's hangar. She mind tricked a storm trooper into piloting a tie-fighter right before the blast doors closed._ _"Focus on making them think its you." The voice instructed. They destroyed that tie-fighter and she could sense the buzz aboard the ship about the Knight's of Ren being one less. She hid cramped and her birth tremors growing._ _"Patience." The voice advised._ _A supplies freighter came in that night a two man craft with regular pilots from a First Order controlled planet nearby. Carefully she snuck on board convincing the weak-minded pilots to navigate way off their scheduled course to Naboo._

"When I arrived on Naboo they were living in the ruins of the great city. They were all cautious and scared with makeshift weapons to defend themselves against invasion. And my mother…."

 _The mind controlled pilots aided her descent the pain now gripping her thoroughly. Sosha Soruna stood before the craft, armed with a repaired blaster, aged like an elegant queen should. Her face was firm at first, but upon seeing the circumference of her daughter's stomach it easily melted._

"All the fear I had been bottling up dissipated upon seeing my mother. She forgave me without saying a word, and the voice had been right all along. I had come home and the light within me sparked. I gave birth to my son that night."

Calliope pulled them back to the present Rey's face streaming with tears, "It was a hard birth, and I deserved every bit of agony that came with it. I named him after the man who saved both of our lives."

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed this long chapter, cheers!**


	10. A Spark

"Can he come back?" Rey's voice floundered taking deep breaths, the visions had not been easy to take in both physically and mentally.

"You ask the wrong question Rey," Calliope started to get up holding out a scarred hand in assistance, "It's not if he could. It's if he will. I have found it's very rare for someone to be that far gone, but it's a choice I hope you can understand that."

"Your scars I didn't see them in the vision." Rey noted.

"I gained those later in my training. Kyber crystals are hard to control." She replied.

The girls exited the Falcon to be greeted by Finn and Poe. Finn immediately went into attack mode seeing Rey's disheveled physique,

"What did you do to her? Did you probe her brain?" His eyes darted around for a blaster. Rey approached him slowly calming him down,

"She showed me everything I needed to know about her." Her voice was delicate and she sniffled wiping at her face.

"Good guy? Bad Guy? I could do with a little more than that Rey." The former trooper replied.

"Good guy," Poe and Rey said in unison.

Leia looked in on the shared living space seeing the future of the resistance's leaders. She had been cleared by the doctors to leave the medical wing but told not to exert herself. Finn and Rose listening intently to Rey tell a story. Poe and Calliope on the floor with her son. It made her shiver how much the boy looked like his father, her son, right down to the freckles marking his face.

"Mama…" the boy tugged on his mother's arm, "Who is that?"

Everyone's eyes fluttered to the General. Poe scrambled to get up. Calliope smiled, probably the first true unforced smile she'd had since the birth of her son, kissing the side of the boy's head, "That Ani is your grandma."

The boy eagerly approached her a hug coming in at her hip. She was crying and she wasn't going to stop herself as she returned his embrace. Not soon after Leia got to tuck him in to her bunk after Poe placed the boy in. Each of them gathered around the table.

"What now? Rose appropriately asked.

* * *

Kylo Ren paced his newly completed throne room. The throne itself jet black stone not meant to be comfortable, but powerful and domineering. Before him was a hologram of information about Project Rebirth. His fingers flexed in frustration. According to the data a geneticist had conducted a child between himself and Nyx would have been a force to be reckoned with. Which is why he reached out to Rey thinking he convince her of the feelings they shared. But why did he care about it? He was making his own legacy that would last more than his lifetime. His eyes fixed on the holo-image of Nyx. The wicked grin she had on her face made his heart pulse, but not that it mattered. He'd made up his mind convincing Rey or rather tricking Rey was the course of action.

"HUX!"

The General tried not the shrink in fear as Kylo Ren stormed on to the bridge. He'd been force choked quiet enough recently, and it was effecting his rapport with the lower officers. One had even snickered after being given an order.

"Why is it so hard to find one piece of garbage?" the Supreme Leader snarled.

Hux pulled himself away from a quick-witted snarky response about how finding one freighter in the whole galaxy is like asking to find a clone trooper without any scanning droids.

"We've put a message out to the galaxy that anyone harboring the Millennium Falcon will face our wrath."

This ignited an idea within the young leader,

"Send out a message saying anyone harboring or assisting the Jedi known as Rey to turn her over to us."

"Dead or alive." Hux grinned instructing a communications officer to relay what was just said.

"Alive." Kylo Ren snarled.

* * *

Poe had laid out a plan of converting the strong hold into a resistance base. Calliope listened intently as everyone else enjoying his passion and fire, however, she knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"The Queen," Calliope started, "More over her advisors will not be willing to convert our resources from surviving to waging an intergalactic war."

"From what I've heard, "Finn started, "The people here have the highest opinion of you. You could rally their support."

"Coming from the people it would be hard to refuse," Leia pointed out.

Calliope grinned, "We're gonna do this."


	11. Rebellion

Everyone had a part in the plan. Leia, Rose, Finn, and Rey were to distract the Queen and her advisors in a meeting. Chewie and R2D2 guarded the throne room door and relay to to C3PO and BB8 if anyone was coming towards their location.

Poe collected the Naboo telling them there was something of interest going on in the center of the hold. They were hesitant until he told them their Guardian was making an announcement, and then they came in droves. Calliope sat nearby watching them flood the center. She wore a faded green tunic with such sharp shoulders her mother would have been proud of since she couldn't exactly braid her hair anymore, a high waist brown belt and tall over the knee brown boots to compliment. Her heart fluttered. She knew how many people lived in the stronghold, but she had never seen them all at once… in one place.

"Cali," Poe called.

She looked at him his dashing smile uplifted her spirits,

"What did you call me?"

The pilot scratched the back of his head,

"It's a nickname.." He admitted embarrassed.

Calliope stood giving him a reassuring smile, "A lot better than my last nickname." She passed him slowly, "I like it."

* * *

Leia entered the throne room at her own pace with the brightness of the rebellion behind her. The Queen sat perched looking pristine as always with a three parted head piece that made the child look older, and more convincingly so was the makeup. Leia found it odd as it mimicked Queen Soruna's so accurately it almost threw the General into a flashback.

"General Organa, I am glad to see you are doing well." her voice was different, ever faintly, but changed with a more austere tone than she had heard before.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Leia's eyes narrowed noticing that the Nubian's who were usually manning the planet's monitors were wearing blasters on their hips for the first time. She breathed, "You wanted to see me." She turned to Rey specifically, "Everyone else can head back to the living space." while she silently connected with Rey replacing 'living space' with the Falcon.

"That won't be necessary." The Queen replied, "For I would like to address all of the resistance."

"This is all of us." Finn said quickly, "This, this is what we look like."

Rose gave him a swift elbow in the side.

The Queen stood with hesitation that appeared as regret, like she was fighting inwardly,

"All the Mid-Rim systems have received a message from the First Order. The first was merely about harboring the resistance and today I was going to ask you all to leave our system for both our well beings." She stepped down from the throne, "However, today their broadcast changed. Informing us that anyone harboring a Jedi by the name of Rey," Instantaneously every blaster in the room became pointed, "To give her up, unharmed, and that system will be left to their own devices."

"And you believed that?" Rose's voice peaked, "The First Order are slime balls who make up their own rules and live by what they need, not what they said."

"I'm giving you a choice General Organa. Let us hand over the girl, and your resistance can live their days in peace."

Leia couldn't get out the words before Finn, who placed himself protectively between Rey and a stun gun,

"Well you see your shittyness. We're not interested in living out our days in peace until the First Order is burned to the ground."

* * *

Poe stood behind Calliope taking in her commanding and gentle stature as she began to speak to the Naboo. She was tense at first, but she seemed to resign to her anxiety not letting it control her,

"You all know me as Guardian. I've been here since this stronghold was built and some of you even know me from my childhood. I will always be your protector, but today Naboo needs to be reminded of our history.." She drew a long inhale, "Both the good and the bad. If some of you remember my mother you can recall her call for strength as well as keeping our culture intact."

Some of the greying men and women nodded. "We have failed my mother on both accounts." There were some confused murmuring in the crowd. Poe couldn't pin down on any exact words, but Calliope continued, "The Naboo, during the trading crisis didn't hunker down and give in to the federation. No we flew our star fighters and bombed the hell out of the bastards. When the failing empire tried to make our planet uninhabitable? My mother took out those satellites with the very general that is here now urging our leaders to take up arms. We aren't people to cower, so why are we? Because we're afraid? Well I've been to the dark side and back and let me tell you this their scared of us a hell of a lot more than we are of them. My mother-."

"But she wasn't your mother." And elderly woman came into view as the pocket of people surrounding her backed away, "No, no, in service to this planet I killed your birth mother, the bitch offspring of the Emperor. My foolish sister had to save you out of her conscious and belief in superstition."

"Aunt Sonya…" Calliope said calmly, "I've known for a while from whom I was born. Mother used to say-"

"I should have just blasted you when I had the chance."

"Oh shut up you bitter old hag. She's more a Soruna than you'll ever be." A grey bearded man yelled, "I served with you on that mission you were blood-thirsty."

Calliope became detached from the bickering older generation. Anakin's voice called to her, "They're in trouble."

She jettisoned through the crowd without another word. Poe called after her. BB8, chirped saying the blast doors of the throne room had closed. He ran after her as fast as his legs would carry. They arrived at the blast door with its lock busted by Chewie's bow caster.

"Shit!" Poe pulled at his hair.

Calliope held out a hand with her eyes closed. The pilot had to duck as her metal orb came flying down the tunnel. She ignited the crystal inside it letting the orb clatter to the ground. The saber pierced the metal screeching as it did. She let out a yelp of pain. Her fury was driving the crystal into her hand. "Focus. Clear your mind." The voice advised.

When she let go the crystal came into alignment with her will and carved out a hole big enough for them to enter. Finn and Rose were stunned on the ground. Leia had a blaster on her set to lethal and Rey was resigning her hands over to cuffs.

"What exactly is going on here?" She curled her voice viciously expanding the breath of the crystal letting it spark and lash out.

"Guardian stay out of this." the advisor, holding a gun to Leia, ordered. He went to speak again but found himself choking on words, dropping the blaster he clawed at his throat. Calliope's curled hand threw the man into the wall.

"That's enough pull back." Her phantom reached out. Poe went to Leia who needed his physical support. The men with blasters wavered to point them at Calliope, and when they did their hands shook uncontrollably until they pointed the weapon them at themselves, or they dropped to the floor. "That's enough!" The voice yelled.

She took a deep breath to steady herself. Her son was hiding under a control desk looking on his mother. This brought her back from the brink of darkness. She wouldn't have her son see her like this.

"Sabe, what are you doing?" Calliope addressed the Queen after deactivating the crystal.

The Queen was shaking her shoulders heaving like a traumatized child.

"This is our chance to come out of the shadows. Out of this mountain. Isn't the sacrifice of one over the many the right way for peace?"

Calliope took cautioned steps towards the girl, "Peace for who? Just us? While the First Order tramples over the rest of the galaxy."

"A monarch has to rule for her people." The Queen replied.

Calliope gently shook her head, "A monarch needs to rule with a conscious of all life, and look outward."

"Your highness you don't have to listen to her! We can still do it." An advisor yelled cowering behind a communications board.

"Sabe…you know its wrong. You can feel it." Calliope pleaded.

Poe had slipped towards the communication line where the advisor was stealthily entering in a coded message. The blaster echoed through the hall. Calliope joined Poe by the board,

"Only a partial message went out," She scanned the code realizing that it was hurried gibberish that addressed the First Order but nothing else, "Since there's no coordinates they'll have to track the signal, but eventually…. It will lead them here."

She wanted to throttle the unconscious man until he gasped for his last breaths. Leia sank into a nearby seat sorrowfully holding her head. Finn and Rose jolted from the stunned positions yelling out words that currently were trivial. Calliope's and Rey's eyes met.

"I have an idea." Rey's voice rippled through the room.

Calliope grinned, "I think I have the same idea."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about that?" Leia groaned.

* * *

 **Shout out for the continued reviews Pseudopsia ! They urge me to keep writing!**

 **Thanks for all the follows!**

 **My favorite part is Finn calling the Queen 'your shittyness' I about died of laughter writing it.**


	12. Tricks

Kylo Ren's commanding vessel hovered over the lush Naboo greenery. He felt nothing emanating from the force in fact it it rendered rather dull to him.  
"Is this place even inhabited?" he asked Hux.  
"We did scan for life forms. There are nomadic gungans in the water way, but it appears that most of the humanoids moved to one of the moons."

As he stepped off with a tablet echoing the signal's beacon. The beacon directed him and the unit into the rubble of the Nubian capital, turquoise tiles snapping under their feet. It was exactly as Nyx described deserted,but that was long enough now. He was sure someone had to settle in the ruins. The palace was a shell of its former self half of it laying in an avalanche of orange clay. He ascended the remaining steps.

"Spread out and search the city." the supreme leader ordered.

It was when the unit separated from him the sound of the planet fell. He continued walking through the remnants of the palace until he couldn't deny the pull.  
"Rey…" He breathed.

The scavenger had her back to him. She turned to him with a fierceness in her eyes that he'd seen in Snoke's throne room. There was something different. The Naboo palace backdrop seemed to phase in and out around the girl. Kylo Ren took a moment to focus letting the landscape form. His mind pushed forward through greedily taking in anything the girl didn't have nailed down.  
"What are you doing!" She yelled in a panic.

He couldn't help himself from the grin that grew on his face, "It's growing ...our bond."  
The landscape around her was a swamp and he could feel the force pulsating in great magnitude on the planet.

"Shall you tell me where you are?" He reached out a gloved hand, "Or shall we see how much this bond can give me on it's own?"

"I'm not giving you anything." She pushed back gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, "You-you….are on a pastoral planet. Somewhere you've been before…" Rey opened her eyes, they were shaking.

If she could tell that much about him. How much more could he sense? He wouldn't be bullied by her like before and he reached out in attempt to peel back the space that separates them. Images of a younger Luke Skywalker and the green exile that trained him. At the moment the stories his uncle had told him about the Jedi master who'd trained him were lost, but he would merely have to mediate.

Kylo Ren hid his findings. He wouldn't tell her he could see so clearly the jungle surrounding her, or she would hop to the next planet and it would be a wild goose chase.

He closed the bond himself portraying frustration and agitation to lead her on.  
He then returned his attention to the tablet faintly beeping further inside the palace, but this message they received on a whim didn't matter anymore. He ordered the unit back to the vessel. Hux stood before the craft quiet and complacent. Kylo Ren shoved the tablet into his hands,

"The beacon here is merely a relay signal."

"I'm sure we can find the origin, Supreme Leader."

"No need. I'll have the location of the girl without us wasting resources bouncing around the galaxy." He began walking into the ship, "Fire on the ruins. I want to see complete rubble."

* * *

The Naboo hunkered in their carved out homes. Ashamed the Queen cleared the room trusting the force users as they monitored a destroyer and dreddnaught exit from hyperspace and hover over the planet. Calliope and Rey stood across from each other on the command center floor. Finn, Poe, Leia and Rose looked on. Leia's only part in the plan was to mask her force presence from her son. Everyone else had no part of their plan.

"Rey, I need you to clear all of Naboo from your mind."

She nodded closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.  
"I'm right here with you. All you need to do is connect with him, and I will take care of the rest."  
"Won't he know your there?"  
"He didn't before, so I guess we just have to hope."

Both Rey and Calliope were thrust into the crumbling palace. Rey stood facing her, and beyond her was Kylo Ren. Calliope's heart hammered against her chest. She wasn't expecting his signature helmet...to not be on. It was also a fresh reminder of how much her son mirrored his father. The young Jedi turned to the fresh Supreme Leader. Rey's name fell out of his lips. Calliope could feel the rage bubble within the girl upon facing him. "It's okay Rey," she soothed. The girl's watched him focus. "Good." Calliope led him in to her own thoughts, careful to not allow him where he shouldn't be. She pulled from stories Luke had told told her. He followed the bread crumbs of her mind so willingly but so forceful it was a strange sensation. Once she knew the name of the planet, but that did matter. Calliope drew on the swamp bathing Rey's image in it.

"What are you doing!" Rey yelled.

Calliope clouded his mind wrapping him around the assuredy of her location. He was so enraptured that the Supreme Leader ended the vision himself. Both girls took stammering breaths and Calliope leaned against a command panel. She'd felt the raw power of darkness surge through her. Quietly she muttered her mantra. Kylo Ren's power had tripled since she had last personally encountered him.  
The resistance huddled together feeling the shake of a Dreddnaught decimate the nearby city.

The stronghold remained hushed in the mountain for one month...


	13. Reborn from the Ashes

~ Six Months Later~

Poe Dameron had always been made for the sky, and teaching the recruits in N-1 starfighters he felt like his old self when the resistance was full. They made passes over the old capital, the forest, and the former stronghold practicing maneuvers and tactics. He was elated at how well they had picked up, but there was still much to teach them.

"Black leader, are we clear to head back?" a voice came through the radio, "The Queen doesn't want us wasting fuel reserves."

"Ah yes, the Queen." Poe chuckled steering his fighter back towards the new hangar, "Let's not upset her ey?"  
The squadron of twenty fighters made for a curved waterfall. Poe was the last of them to station the fighter in the hangar. Out of the cockpit he watched the recruits exit and care for their ships. BB-8 chirped happily after ejecting from the fighter. A figure had stooped over to talking to the droid. Poe jumped down from the yellow bird.

"How did they do, General Dameron?"

"Well, your majesty." He swooped down greeting Calliope with a swift kiss, "They did well. Sabe especially."

Calliope looked over to the young girl excited among the other pilots. Sabe's term had ended in their silence of the mountain, and unanimously the people elected the oldest queen at 28 to rule them, "I'm glad."

She pulled the pilot by the collar behind the security of his fighter wrapping her fingers in his dark ebony curls.  
"Cali." He couldn't finish his train of thought as she ardently met his lips. The way she twisted her hands in his hair ringing it around individual fingers. He thoroughly melted. Calliope finally pulled away with a sly grin on her face. Poe cleared his throat,  
"Well your day must have been good."

Together they entered the new Naboo a bustling hive of rebellion and thriving society. Builders, engineers, and architects worked day in and out carving homes into the pastoral hillside. Here the resistance was no longer just surviving but growing under Leia's guidance and knowledge though she was now resiegned to a chair for most of her waking hours. Finn and Rose taught every day Nubians how to fire blasters, understand call signals, and operate the bases defences if the time ever arose were they needed to stand up. Calliope lifted her wrist on which was clasped a transportable communication line,

"Scavenger leader and Maz's boyfriend best head back before dark."

Chewie's roar came over the line that they would return soon.

Rey was outside of the Falcon rummaging through a fallen satellite. It brought her an immense amount of joy knowing no matter what or how much she brought back to the rebellion they would feed her same as everybody else. Not to mention the surroundings were 1,000 times better. The Naboo forest trickled with life. She could hear cascading water no matter where she trudged. Mud stuck to her boots, greenery brushed her shoulder, and the planet had taken the girl in. Rey sat on a moss covered log overhanging a creek. She closed her eyes letting the forces around push and pull. Calliope had given Rey everything she needed to repair the and lightsaber, but she couldn't help the urge to use it as the guardian did. "It took years of practice, determination and I have the scars to prove it." A solid weapon was easy to predict especially for someone vastly more trained than her, like Kylo Ren. The scavenger shuddered. There was a part of there that wanted to hold on to the soft illusion of Ben Solo. Each time they interacted now Rey led him on a chase of cat and mouse, and he would grow more frustrated and irate. She closed eyes summoning the inactive crystal from her pack. It hovered delicately before her. Taking a sure but anxious breath Rey ordered the crystal to ignite. The rock gave a faint spark. She commanded it again and again until frustration built in her. "Please." She resorted. The kyber crystal ignited into a blue electric flame. Slowly it followed her hand movement and Rey made sure to keep a safe distance from the radiating laser rock as it lashed out. The brooke beneath her dangling legs became muted and the tall dark Supreme Leader. Rey panicked begging the crystal to deactivate. She wouldn't have him see her practice. A thin line lashed out against the shoulder and as she let out of cry of pain the crystal fell into her hand inert. He turned showing a momentary concern for her injury in which she tried to cover.

"Your hurt." Kylo Ren's mouth moved and Ben's soothing voice came out, "You've been training. If only you had a proper teacher, and not stuffy old books with rigid and hyopritic ideals." Ren's voice came out in the end. He had seen her reading them one day, but had no idea who with. She could feel his frustration on the identity companion, and how we was just lure out of her any information. Rey let her hand go from clutching her arm.

"Blaster? You can't have fixed the saber." He drew closer inspecting it. Rey swept away from letting her feet splash in the water.

"Maybe I did fix it." She replied.

"The how could you have possibly injured yourself with it?"

Rey scowled trying to push him away and end the bond. She hadn't let him see anything around her.

"How is General Organa?"

"CALL HER BY WHAT SHE IS TO YOU!" Her voice cracked after the anger.

Kylo grinned at her resentment, "She hasn't been my mother for some time."

Rey's nostrils flared, "She could have been, and she is perfectly fine!" She detached them from each other.

Calliope could sense Rey's immense anger as the Falcon landed in the hangar, and the young girl entered the base. The Queen drew herself away from the council chambers who didn't need her presence to discuss housing. She followed the radiating anger to the outskirts of the settled area overlooking the valley below. The scavenger ferociously wailed her staff around.

"Rey." Calliope was quick to catch the staff as the startled girl twisted around, "What's the matter?"

"I feel things I know I shouldn't." she wanted to cry and held it back shaking her head, "And I just want to be free of them."

Calliope observed the girl, "You've seen him recently haven't you?"

Rey silently nodded.

"I want to see you early for lessons tomorrow. I think it's time we closed this bridge don't you?"

"Yes," she replied assuredly, but Calliope could feel a tremor meaning the exact opposite.

* * *

 **For those of you wondering, the those few months between will be doled out in flashbacks ;)**


	14. The Grey

Month One

 _Rey, Poe, Finn and Rose gathered in the stronghold's center. Leia elected to rest. They arrived to find the Queen and few of her advisors. The thirteen year old girl stood plainly without all the pomp of her station._

" _Hey pilot!" Young Anakin pulled Poe out of the crowd, and walked over to him away from his school group._

" _Heyy Ani." Poe smiled searching behind him, "Where's your mother?"_

" _Home, she never comes to these things." The boy shrugged._

" _What is 'this thing'?" Finn asked.  
Anakin looked at the group like they were dull, and as a child he didn't consider their lack of cultural knowledge until Rose gently pointed it out to him._

" _Oh yeah…" he started, "Well, Queen Sabe's term is ending so this is a nomination gathering."  
Sabe cleared her throat causing a slow hush to take over the enormous crowd. She took a step forward away from the advisors. _

" _As you all know my term will be at an end as this month closes. I have found my time in office to be peaceful with limited events to concern us. However, my term does not end thusly. The FIrst Order has attacked our former capital in their long stampede to bring chaos to this galaxy." Sabe fractionally bit her lip, "As per tradition I am to recommend to you my successor."_

 _There was a calmness in the crowd the people full of curiosity. "There will be hard times ahead, and we must decide if we wish to remain in this mountain merely to survive, or if we dare to live again in the Nubian sunshine in defiance of the galactic evils. If you wish to survive I have no recommendations for you. Naboo… if you wish to live again, fight again, thrive again then you know to whom we must ask. Calliope Soruna."_

 _Shouting came from the Naboo-;_

" _Bout time!" a younger man yelled._

" _She's too old!" an elderly lady screed._

" _For fucks sake woman she's risked her life time and again for us who cares about that tradition anymore!" a man bellowed in reply._

" _Tradition is all we have!"_

" _Not if we can get out of this forsaken mountain!"_

 _Poe pushed his way out of the crowd leaving his friends behind confused. It took him a few tries to find the right corridors for Calliope's home. He burst through the makeshift door_

" _Calliop-." the pilot's voice cracked._

 _A towel lay on the floor used and discarded. Her body a peach from the heat of a shower and the scars against like pale gems of flesh. She had full pear shaped figure, that of a grown woman. He prayed to the maker she wasn't reading his mind because he wanted to kiss each and everyone of those scars. Calliope reached for her black robe pulling it over her drenched shoulders,_

" _I know you're new here Commander but it's common knowledge throughout the galaxy to announce oneself before entering, usually a knock."_

 _She pivoted slightly after securing the robe. Poe took a deep breath shaking the embarrassment from him,_

" _Why aren't you down there? They're calling out your name."_

 _Her violet eyes met his brown. They were harsh eyes that of person who'd made up their mind,_

" _I will never be Queen of Naboo. I just can't."_

 _Poe met her eyes with determination,_

" _You still think the dark side can consume you, but you've proven that it won't," he stepped further in the room, "You have compassion for these people? You'd die for these people?"_

" _Of course, but that doesn't mean I should be leading them. I'm their guardian. I'm used when needed, when threats come about."_

" _They need you now. The threat is More than just a few units passing by. These people want to live. They want a galaxy they can live in without fear."_

 _Calliope folded her arms thinking to herself. "This would be the ultimate test." Anakin's voice echoed through her ears. Did she want to take that temptation? Images of her malicious self parading around the First Order barking orders. She stuttered at the thought, a foolish and vain girl._

" _Just come and listen to them." Poe rather demanded._

" _I'm sure some of them are saying great things, as well as I know that others are dredging up my past." She replied._

" _Does that matter? You chose to change didn't you? Are you going to punish yourself for the rest of your life?" A righteous temper grew in his tone._

 _He felt the urge to comfort her as his words drove her nails into her arms. Her eyes now cast the the floor away from him wrought with indecision and self doubt. Poe hesitantly closed the gap between them; he had just seen her stark naked after all. She turned into him without his arms even fully open, and laid her head under his. He adjusted to hold her, and the smell of lavender and vanilla filled his nose. They stood there until her heart rate scaled down to a normal rate._

" _Thank you." Calliope's voice was soft and warm._

* * *

Rey approached her teacher who was meditating peaceably by the edge of the river. Nubian sun was barely cresting the horizon but the day was already comfortable as usual. She said nothing and merely swooped down next to Calliope and mediated the same.

A violet eye peered at the scavenger after awhile, "Rey, what makes you angry?"

She could feel the girl become flustered like it was a trick question. Calliope put a hand on her shoulder, "It is okay to be angry."

"But the books." Rey started.

Calliope shook her head while standing. She summoned her kyber crystal from its metal pod nearby. It ignited upon her request and it formed steadily.

"Do you think I learned how to do this from those books? Didn't you tell me Master Luke wanted the order to end?"

Rey stood now, "The galaxy still needs jedi!"

"Am I Jedi? Are you?"

"Well we use the force for good, for the light."

Calliope nodded, "True but if you'd read the hierarchy of the Jedi-; How becoming an apprentice then a Jedi knight then a master works you would know that to that rigid code we are but apprentices. More so you a padawan learner. So no Rey we are not Jedi. We are people who are force sensitive who want to make the world a better place."

"Why does it matter?"

"Because we are not limited to their narrow view of the universe. That everything must be as they said."

Rey's face furrowed, "You sound like Ben."

"Oh so we're calling him Ben again?" Calliope raised a questioning eyebrow. Rey clutched her staff her nose flaring. The crystal deactivated putting itself away. Calliope held out a hand summoning a sparring sword from her pack, and without words lunged toward Rey. The scavenger stumbled as Calliope's fighting style was relentless with quick forward thrusts and strong practiced side strikes. Rey's only advantage was the staff being able to catch any attack even at the last second, but she fell again and again.

"Do you know why your not beating me?" Calliope asked extending hand to the frustrated girl on her backside.

"Your more trained than I am." She breathed.

"Kylo Ren has more training than you and you beat him." Calliope replied.

"He was injured."

"And Snoke's guards?"

Rey had no reply other than taking Calliope's hand.

"You beat Kylo Ren because of your emotions. Emotions aren't a bad thing Rey. You just have to know right from wrong. It's when those are imbalanced or screwed that emotions turn you to the darkness."

"You said today we'd close the bridge between me and B-...Kylo."

Calliope nodded, "We will after we get something to eat. Don't want you fainting because this will take a lot of energy."


	15. Mama's Boy

_Month Two_

 _Despite their original gusto to get out of the mountain the Naboo were less inclined to do so when the time came. Every family carried their possessions rather unwilling to leave anything behind for memorabilia sake. The train of people leaving the stronghold, carrying all their possessions anyway they could, were slow and cautious constantly checking over their shoulders. Each time they did check over their shoulders Queen Soruna the Second was there watching over them from mountain ledge over hanging the cave entrance. She wasn't a Queen they were used to, yet, wearing a reconstructed version of her knight armor, and no cosmetic alteration or intricate hair to speak to their culture, but they would get used to it with time. To the people with the Nubian sun casting down she looked like a goddess mature and able rather than delicate and queen like._

" _Mama!" Anakin called out for her from below. Calliope leapt from the ledge greeting her son with a smile and quick embrace on his level. There were so many things about Anakin that were reminiscent of Ben but the way he smiled, laughed and his gestures those all came from her._

" _All packed?"_

 _He nodded presenting his pack proudly,_

" _Grandma wants to see you."_

 _Anakin took her hand leading away from the people's exodus. As they started to veer far off the path Calliope began to understand that her son was not talking about Leia whom he had quickly grown close to. They came upon a shady sea of emerald grass. This place is were departed Nubians rested. Anakin let go of her hand jogging over to a tall slim stone with the clearest etching of them all as it was written with kyber-; Sosha Soruna, Queen of Naboo, Leader of Survivors and loving Mother. Calliope joined her son as he talked to the headstone,_

" _I brought mama here like you wanted. She misses you. I miss you mamaw."_

 _She looked around praying-hoping-pleading to see a vision of her mother, but only the dew listened against the damp forest met her gaze. Calliope felt a sting of grief sweep through and also the grip of reality. Sosha Soruna was not force sensitive so why did she allow herself to dip into that hope? Anakin looked around as well expecting something to happen. When nothing did the boy grew disappointed clenching his fists in and out just like Calliope did in frustration. His mother swooped down to him hugging his side, meeting those deep brown eyes._

" _You know she's always with us. Even if we can't see her." Calliope placed a hand on the marker and a hand on her son's chest._

" _Always? Even when we move far away?" The boy sniffled._

 _She embraced her son tightly, "Always, no matter where."_

* * *

Leia gripped her grandson's hand tightly as they walked. He pulled excitedly ready for his class. The boy wore what they were labeling 'school uniform'-; a simple grey tunic and slacks but each child was adorned with a familial scarf around their neck or sash around their waste. Anakain's sash was a deep purple torn from one of Calliope's capes because he wanted a part of his mother to follow him wherever he went. The boy was in definition a mama's boy, but he couldn't really be anything else. Leia's mind started to wonder about what kind of life he would have led if Calliope hadn't escaped. Images of pain and practice, dark practice swept through the General, but Anakin's voice brought her back.

"Today, I get to wear a helmet one like Poe's!"

She was glad for his excitement about learning, but less so that he idolized Poe. Not that the infamous pilot wasn't a good man. It's just that he was still an impulsive take action figure that wasn't always what was needed; even after Crait. Today the class was learning about tools so they could assist their parents if needed during the building of the new capital of the planet, the defense of that planet, and the growth of their home world. The helmets were for safety even though they were merely handling the tools and not actively using them. She wished him a good day with a kiss on the forehead and a wave of hindsight flew through her-; what would have Ben been like if she walked him to school every day? Leia didn't want think like that anymore, but it was instant and inescapable. She was nearing the end of her life and as much as the triumphs and defeats weighed on her nothing was more so than the loss of her son and husband. Her room was too far away and she needed to rest her aching legs.

Chewie greeted her upon reaching the Falcon. He was tinkering with one piece or another. The ramp was easy for her to shuffle up, and she sat down in the hull with a huff. Everything in the ship was pulsating in and out of focus, another headache. The lights shining too brightly causing her cover her eyes with a cupped hand. There was someone else on this ship. Her body began to tingle and the General wondered if she was having a heart attack, but her pulse seemed steady. She went to call out to Chewie, but the Falcon before her began to bend in and out warping before her eyes. She closed her eyes to make herself focus, maybe somehow she was doing this, and perhaps she could make it stop.

"Mother." His voice tore through Leia's ears despite its soft and calm nature. The curious but hesitant woman peaked through her fingers. He was there on his knees. Her Ben right there in front of her like she could reach out and touch him. Leia rested her hands assuredly on her legs. This man had a regal bearing and he would have been so if Alderan were still in existence. She raised up a hand expecting it to go through his cheek like a hologram. When it didn't, when she felt the smooth surface of his face, she brought her hand back far enough for it to sting when it made contact. He didn't flinch but oh he felt it,

"I'm sure you think I deserve more than that."

Leia's nose flared and her lips came into a thin line, "You torture yourself more than I ever could."

"I want to meet." He said still kneeling on her level. He could see the gears working behind her eyes.

"If you think you can fool me-"

"The First Order is crippled," Kylo Ren stood showing how he towered over almost everything, "We keep hold of two systems and twenty six outer rim planets. I'd leave the rest of them alone if you'd agree to meet."

"You'd expect me to believe that?" Leia raised a motherly eyebrow.

"You may pick the planet. I'll bring one ship and come down to the planet alone. You may bring the same. If you really want peace before….," The man halted his sentence before looking back at her, "I'd suggest you take this offer."

Rey and Calliope were sitting opposite each other in a meditative state in the makeshift throne room that was now separate from the command center. The room was bathed in light from a skylight molded into the hill top. They sat in front of the throne, a simply cushioned chair, in which was surrounded by enough other chairs for the Nubian advisers.

Calliope's face was twisting between emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum as their minds dueled for supremacy. Rey wasn't attempting to fight back. In fact it was quiet unintentional almost reflexive. Calliope was searching for when the bridge was created, but for some reason Rey's mind led her down doors she didn't need to go down. Seeing the girl abandoned, her hardened struggle to survive, and the deep unquenchable loneliness that plagued her. The Queen began to understand why Rey and Kylo Ren were so bonded and willing to believe the other would turn. There was a vibration in the force equal to a clearing throat trying to get their attention. They opened their eyes to see Leia approaching. She looked determined and also rather distraught using her cane as a saber into the floor rather than a crutch to be relied on. The girl's stood taking her in realizing the gravitas of the conversation they were about to have, albeit baffled about what it would be about.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! 3  
If you have any questions post them! I'll either answer them in the following chapter or say they'll be answered in an up coming chapter. **

**Cheers!**


	16. Decisions

_Month Three_

 _Rey had made a home on the Falcon even though the resistance was given one of the first homes carved into the greenery of Naboo. It was better this way because Ben would appear sporadically and if Calliope wasn't around it was an arduous task to masquerade her background; in the Falcon she didn't have to do so. She would tinker with a part, help Chewie make repairs, read the sacred texts, or chat with whoever came to see her. Finn would give her updates on the tremendous building speed of the workers. Rose would mostly come to sneak a nap as she'd been working like a dog. Poe and Leia would visit with updates on the other planets they had managed to contact, and which were joining the cause. Flaming the spark they called it. Calliope would visit when she had time, and when she did they would argue about training._

" _You don't want me to train you." She would growl before stomping away._

 _Today, Rey was huddled in the cockpit reading one of the books she had stolen from Master Skywalker. It was hard to comprehend, and the text was so very tiny it made her head hurt to read. She put the down hearing approaching steps. Calliope walked in with a tired smile, and sat across from her. She wore a tan and grey outfit that reminded the scavenger of Master Skywalker's on Ach-to. Calliope's hair had grown into a shaggy mismanaged mess around her face, and dark circles encompassed her eyes._

" _Do you mind if I hide out here for a while?" she asked rubbing her neck. Rey shook her head in reply with a small grin in return adjusting the book in her hand._

" _Now that takes me back." Calliope acknowledged the book. Rey handed the delicate book over, and nostalgia rippled over the guardian's eyes before quickly closing and handing the book back, "You know you don't need all of that?"_

" _Have you read them?" she tucked the book close to her chest. Before Calliope could reply the force surrounding them seemed to permeate with darkness and anger. In reaction Calliope grappled images into Rey's mind; a rocky desert with alien screams on the winds. They took a deep breath as Kylo Ren's silhouette faded in before them. His saber active and crackling reacting to it's master._

" _You think you can out run me forever?" Kylo Ren's voice was vicious_

 _Rey bit the inside of her cheek at first unsure how to answer. Calliope seemed to be grinning with assured confidence as she leaned back in her chair. The movement was noticed by Kylo, and he pointed the saber towards her._

" _What is that thing, next to you?" he sneered._

" _I don't know what you're talking about." Rey replied defiantly._

" _Don't lie!" Kylo snapped. His eyes ever briefly looked beyond the cockpit, but flickered back to Rey. He deactivated the saber, "I will find you, and when I do you'll have two choices." His nose flared, "I don't think you want to end up like my father."_

 _Calliope departed from her seat clenching her hands tightly inward nails scraping her scarred palm. The Supreme Leader watched the chasm in the force approach him._

" _Tell Big Ears you've got a teacher whose going to help you wipe the First Order not only from existence but the universe won't even remember their glimpse of failure. They will have been nothing."_

 _Rey looked at them. Ben didn't tower over her as he did everyone else. They were close in height, similar in stature, and radiating a close demeanor. She couldn't help the grimace growing across her face as Calliope spoke, but realized she couldn't relay the message in its entirety._

" _My teacher isn't afraid of the likes of you, and neither am I." she pushed him out of the vision with such force she's nearly sure he stumbled. She looked up at Calliope now whose shoulder's rising and falling at a much fast pace then her own,_

" _You'll really teach me?"_

 _Calliope turned her head ever so slightly a fierceness in those mauve eyes, "Let's get started."_

* * *

Both of the girls were sent reeling by Leia's words. Rey started to point out how he had tried Han and herself,

"Don't let him trick you to." She pleaded. Calliope took in the General-; she was tired, weary and growing ever more so each day. It distressed her to think how little time Leia Organa Solo had left. There was something else behind the steady determination in the General's eyes, an understanding- a peace rather.

"I want to see my son before I die." Those words struck both of them as the devastation and implore of her words were so tranquil it was jarring. Leia explained Kylo Ren's conditions and the offer on the table in which they all knew was a ploy.

"He thinks that taking me will end the resistance, "Leia slowly shook her head, "But we all know it won't. It's in such capable and good hands."

Calliope let the tears spill over as she placed a hand on Leia's shoulder, "I'm coming with you."


	17. Back up

"This is madness!" Poe followed Calliope into the hangar, in the dead of night, "You both can't leave."

Leia was already sitting anxiously in the Falcon. Chewie in the pilot's chair setting their course. Calliope turned to Poe putting a hand on his chest,

"Terra is a moon in the intersection of three very vast and different systems. You have to trust us."

"He's gonna kill her." Poe's eyes were welling. Calliope stepped into him their bodies touching. She leaned in pressing a soft kiss next to his ear before whispering,

"Not if I kill him first."

Poe stepped away enough for the ramp to start closing, "You both better come back!" he yelled taking a hard swallow as the ship hovered.

Calliope sat next to the wookie unsure of what to do, but her phantom whispered instructions before the creature became frustrated. There was an odd moment Calliope felt the surrounding energy in the ship tip in balance. Before she could yell for Chewie to wait he pulled the lever for the jump to hyperspace. She walked to the hull with crossed arms leaning against the curved hall giving Leia a disapproving glance. The woman waved her off like no harm had been done.

"You're improving but it won't get passed me." Calliope said loud and clear. Rey took a deep gasping breath revealing not only herself but Finn, Rose and BB-8. They all sheepishly smiled,

"I'm here as backup." Rey attested.

"And I'm Rey's back up." Finn said.

BB-8 chirped that Poe told him to look after her. Rose scratched the back of her head,

"I fell asleep here?" which could have been true if only she weren't a horrible liar. Calliope met eyes with Rey,

"I told you to stay on Naboo. I can't hide all of you, and the Falcon and myself from his presence. The attempt would render me helpless."

"Rose and I installed a cloaking device." Rey replied. Rose nodded accordingly.

"And you said I'm improving." she pointed out.

"I'm telling Chewie to turn around." Calliope trudged away Rey in hot pursuit.

"Cali, wait!" She grabbed her arm as they reached the cockpit.

They both were drawn to the viewport as the ship exited light speed. Terra was a once inhabited moon but without a strong enough star to act as their sun the nomads who had come to the planet left almost as quickly as they came. Looming over the other side of the moon was a Star destroyer. Cali took a step further into the cockpit. She knew the destroyer, Languish, because it had been hers. The Millennium Falcon passed unnoticed.  
"Well I guess the cloaking works, or he was being honest." Calliope jeered rubbing her eyes. Rey leaned over Chewie pointing were to land. Everyone gathered in the hull.

"I'm not your Queen, I'm not your General, and I don't even know if I'm your friend per say, but hear me when I say … Do Not Leave this Ship. Anyone who does leave will answer to me in a way so unpleasant you'll understand why they called me Nyx." She of course didn't mean it but she needed to frighten them and they all looked pretty stunned when she and Leia descended. Calliope disappeared from view ever present but undetected.

"What does Nyx even mean?" Rose asked.  
BB-8 answered in binary.

"Mother of Darkness…." Rey translated.

* * *

 **I know some of you might think this is moving fast plus a short chapter but... I can't wait for you all to read the next chapter... "Mother of Darkness"**


	18. Mother of Darkness

Terra was devoid of the usual planet life, a ball of dirt and clay with tall columns of stalagmites instead of trees, and the moon had formed with microorganisms producing vast amounts of oxygen after taking in the toxins as energy. The Supreme Leader found it an odd choice at first for the General to pick, however, the stalagmites gave ample cover; after all he had hardly been honest to his word. His command ship was packed with two units of troopers who scattered into cover. His goal wasn't any negotiations. Rey would be nearby he just knew it whether his so called mother knew it or not, and he would use her to draw the scavenger out. Kylo Ren stood alone in the clearing his impatience growing as no ships came through the sky, but the force drew his attention across the clearing.

General Organa of the Resistance didn't appear as aged and desperately clinging to life as he had seen in the vision. She walked with purpose and aplomb, a blaster at her hip. It made him chuckle as his saber was a mere beckoning away. The General came to a halt a healthy fifteen feet away. Kylo Ren could sense in his delight that she was not alone.

He wasn't sure how the girl was hiding herself but they had made this too easy.

"Gen-" he started.

"You'll forgive me if we skip the meaningless greetings." Leia began, "I came here to discuss terms and anything more than that is unacceptable."

Kylo Ren grinned, and a part of him wondered if she was this shrewd as a senator.

"Isn't there something more you want?" he taunted, "My return to the light?"

This didn't phase Leia,  
"I have said what I came here for. If you intend to keep disavowing your original request. I will leave."

He had her now,  
"Who says I'd let you leave?" his lip curled. She looked over his shoulder seeing a trooper's blaster peek at them.

"This isn't going to go how you think." Leia held a slight grin.

Kylo shook his head given into an genuine out right laugh, "Your little beam of light may be stronger mother but not strong enough to take on all that I have waiting," He took a pause long enough for Leia to start a reply when his right hand snapped upward forcing the air gradually out of her, "And not strong enough to save you at the same time." Kylo Ren threw the old woman to the ground.

The moment she hit the ground a crystalized shimmer enveloped the area next to the General. His hand still outstretch called for his saber, but it wasn't quick enough. A savage scream came from the ripple in space and an orange beam came out like a whip slicing through the flesh and bone of his right hand. The great and powerful Supreme Leader fell to his knees boggled at the missing appendage, it's instant cauterisation, and the pure anguish of pain that came with the wound. Above him towered a woman he thought dead. Before he could scream to open fire the same beam of light flew past his face towards the unit. His body, not of his own accord, pivoted to view the scene as the orange speck hacked through his units. It was almost beautiful. Anger over took him as he used the pain of his injury to call his saber with his left hand. He whipped around expecting to face a defenseless woman, but a blue electrified light was circling around her. She stood like a battle ready angel returned from the dead, this took him back; the only thing reminiscent of her were the violet iris. This vision before him was bathed in light.

"You-you died!" He yelled furiously, "I saw it." his voice seemed to weaken even for a moment.

"I guess it didn't stick." oh her voice was the same, wicked, full of sarcasm and hate. The Supreme leader could sense the other troopers dropping like flies, and he couldn't face this ghost not in his current state. He faded back on his left foot and met eyes with her. Slowly a plan was forming in his mind-; he had to keep her talking.

"Nyx…" He started almost in a whisper, "How'd you do it? Come back…" His steps were ever so menial.

"Call me Nyx one more time you lose the other hand, and don't think I don't notice you trying to slink out of this." She leaned down feeling the General's pulse, "Am I not who you expected? I'm sure Rey would have been more … forgiving then I." She motioned to the severed hand.

His brow furrowed, "You were the teacher."

"Were? From where I'm standing I still am." ever word dripped like venom. His confusion only masked by the excruciating pain radiating from his arm. He noticed all the scars flecking her skin, and to her slim physique.

"What happened to the child you were carrying?" His genuine tone took her off guard.

"You mean the abomination that Snoke convinced me to conceive with you?" Calliope turned to him lifting her tunic ever so slightly revealing a deep scar going from hip to hip, "Gone."  
The orange beam returned to her now and they formed effortlessly into sabers. He was utterly alone now.

* * *

Every moment Calliope spent her in her shadowed form the more the darkside called to her. But her confidence was superseding the need for power that the evil whispers promised. She knew what he was doing, and all Calliope had to do was wait for the right moment. Calliope couldn't do it in front of Leia; it was still her son and as many times as she said that he wasn't anymore-she didn't believe that. Anakin's hazy form was with her.  
"Are you sure this is necessary?" he asked placing himself between her and Kyo Ren.

"You told me yourself he was too far gone." She replied. Anakin hesitantly nodded,

"If you deem it right, and in your soul you know the war can only be ended with his life… then do it."

Calliope knew he was trying to draw Rey out, and the surprise she was about to give him would-. She was thrown from the thought as his actions drew more fury from her than she anticipated. Leia's body slammed to the ground, and the force pulled Calliope from her mirrored dimension. Lashing out she didn't regret the hand she had taken from him. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, it hurt. This was something she was determined to do, and now she felt two pieces pulling at her. She saw their son in his eyes, but also the darkness emanating around him. The first part told her to end him here and now, while the other implored that he was helpless and therefore it was wrong. Anakin stood in the background. Hovering over his grandson unable to commune with him. Calliope replied to all of his inquiries with utter severity which the man deserved. When her kyber crystal returned to her hand it was time to make a decision. Then as if answering Anakin's question, the star destroyer above them jumped into hyperspace abandoning their Supreme Leader. This mwelling wounded man before her … his death would not lead to the end of the First Order.


	19. Here we are

Hux stood triumphantly on the bridge of Languish. He rubbed his throat in comfort as he gave the order to jump to lightspeed. The First Order would not bow to the whims of a mood swinging traitor. Armitage Hux was smarter than Kylo Ren ever gave him credit for, and that was his undoing. He could now strengthen the Order in his vision.

"Summon the Knights of Ren." the ginger's grin curled around his high cheekbones.

* * *

Kylo Ren woke with an agony filled scream. His voice mangled and vexatious tore through the cell. The only part of him not tied down was his right arm cleaned and bandaged; not only was his wrist gone they had cleared it up to his elbow. He took deep ragged breathes searching the greyness around him. The walls were a thick terracotta tiles and the dirt beneath his knees compacted.

"Comfortable?" Her cunning voice came from the shadows.

He gave a frustrated sneer. The shadows fell away from her figure like a discarded robe. It sent an odd shiver up his spine. It hadn't been a vision; Calliope Soruna was in front of him. Six years had morphed her from a beautiful and wild girl into a vivacious and commanding woman.

She took a few steps toward him,  
"I'm impressed," her voice was seemingly genuine until she let out a cackle, " On how clouded you've let your mind become in the darkness."

"And you've become soft!" Kylo gritted his teeth for a moment, "You left me alive." Softer and more thoughtful, "Why?"

She crossed her arms, "You think I'm soft for giving you a quick, painless and isolated way out?" Calliope shook her head, "No..no.. Kylo Ren the-."

"My name is Ben."

She tilted her head back, "HA!" and leaned down near his face, "Ben Solo died or so I was told."

"Would you care if he didn't?" He met eyes like amethysts.

"No." She angled away from him her one syllable etching out his efforts, "You can try to talk your way out of a judgement by the newly formed Republic. Until then you're our guest." Calliope returned to the shadows, and her image faded from his view.

"You think you can hold me here!" He yelled.

An echoed laugh reverberated on the tiles, "I don't think little man. I know."

* * *

Leia's eyes gently fluttered allowing the excess light above her to filter. She felt like an amorphous liquid laying in the medical bed. Poe and Rey were at each of her sides. They looked worried for her. She was going to make a quick witted remark about how it's not her time yet, but something more important drew from her lips,

"My son….."

Poe and Rey made micro glances at each other like which of them should explain what happened until Rey hesitantly opened her mouth,

"He's alive, and imprisoned here in the capital."

Leia searched herself. The force had moved so malevolently around Calliope as they trudged out of the Falcon. The General was sure she was honing in to kill him. After all that he had done… why did she feel so relieved to find that he had been left alive? The guards at Leia's private room stood at attention. Anakin ran in and Poe yanked him on his lap before he could jump onto Leia.

They could all see Calliope's form shadowed behind the fogged window. Rey went to say something but halted in the mid formation of a sound. She made a comment to the guard and departed. They all looked at the six year old for answers.

"Ani… is your mama alright?" Leia held out a gentle hand from him to grasp. He did so gently joining her in the hospital bed. The boy usually abundant with smiles turned momentarily cold,

"Mama's been having nightmares since she's come home. They make her cry and she won't let me help." her grandson laid gently against her side and she could feel tremors of the force pulsate through him.

"How long have I been out?" Leia met eyes with Poe.

"Two weeks General." he replied.

The pilot looked conflicted at the door, like he should go to her, but oddly he remained planted by Leia's side.

* * *

 **This chapter is kind of ...setting the scene for the next few chapters.**

 **Also ...Calliope is a very "taste of your own medicine" kinda gal. She's spent a lot of time with Poe and Rey... just saying**

 **Thirdly, hope your all enjoying the story this going a lot further than I originally intended**


	20. A Little force

_Nyx sat on the examination bench glaring down the First Order's top geneticist. He had been fumbling the whole time and she hadn't exactly made it easy on him making comments about if he pinched her one more time down there she would strangle him without a second thought. Their tests had been irritatingly long. Nyx was growing restless. She played with her braid, fussing with it more like, to make it lay perfectly. The geneticist flipped through papers avoiding eye contact,_

 _"You are fertile, and um… well the best time for conception this cycle would be…this evening."_

 _"Elders! That's it? All that poking and prodding and that's all the information you can give me?" She snapped touching her bare feet to the cold metal floor._

 _"If…. You w-would like to see your genetics." He held out the papers trembling slightly. Oh how the knight enjoyed the power of making men fearful. She waved him off feeling Snoke enter her mind._

 _"Meet with Kylo Ren, and begin your mission." His snake like voice echoed after prying the recent information from her head._

 _"Yes, Supreme Leader." Nyx replied without hesitation._

 _The destroyer Languish volted into hyperspace joining the Finalizer moments later as it orbited a desert planet on the outer rim. General Hux was stiff as a board as she entered the Finalizer via a transporter. He made no remark about her midriff exposed below her billowing dusty yellow apparel._

 _"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Hux had always been straight forward and curt even if his words tried to hide that- the rest of him couldn't. Nyx grinned gleefully,_

 _"Snoke sent me to babysit."_

 _The General's leather gloves crinkled, "If Kylo Ren would just listen to orders we wouldn't be out here in the middle of nowhere."_

 _"Speaking of him, where is he?"_

 _"Down on the planet. He's been down there for some time." Hux replied rather annoyed. Nyx turned to her transport pilot,_

 _"Take me down to the planet." And she disappeared into the ship._

 _This outer rim planet was a giant orange glob. It was abrasive and the winds thrashed against the ship._

 _"I should worn…more." Nyx sighed as the transport landed next to a similar ship on the outskirts of a colorful village. She instructed her pilot not to wait for her, that she would catch a ride back in Kylo Ren's craft. The pilot of Ren's ship said he had taken a speeder. "Gone for hours." The pilot grumbled. She walked into the town taking in the raw lawlessness of it; the gambling, shouting, the smell of pure alcohol permeating in the air. It went against every Nubian fiber she possessed and yet its chaos intrigued her. After a merchant so 'obligingly' offered her a speeder she sent a ripple through the force to sense Kylo Ren. It came back to her from a far and weak. The two blazing suns of the planet were approaching the horizon as she arrived at a hovel in the ground. His speeder was parked haphazardly in front of the entrance way. She approaching a gaping hole in the ground. Kylo Ren sat meditative below. Nyx threw herself into the hole purposefully landing inches from him. He didn't move, and in his mask he could easily hide any inkling of surprise._

 _"You could have used the door," He breathed through the apparatus, "Like a normal being."_

 _She playfully put her hands on her hips and lent down near his level,"Well that's no fun." She reached for his mask but his hands rejected hers. Nyx rolled her eyes, "It's gonna be really hard to kiss you through the mask."_

 _He made no reply. Snoke was really not making her job easy forbidding her to tell him of the mission._

 _"He's not always with us you know." She folded her arms, "Didn't realize you used the mask to hide your fear of him."_

 _It was immediate, he launched at her from his kneeling position. At first she thought him angry and attacking her for her true words,but his grip was restrained once they hit the ground. She went to make a sarcastic comment mirroring her earlier one about his mask, however she heard the small hiss of its detachment. They were both in a sense getting what they wanted._

* * *

Anakin woke in the cold dead of night. He could sense his mother in extraordinary pain, and he rushed as fast as his legs could carry through the door adjoining their rooms. His mother was thrashing violently, tears streaming down her face, and yet her body remained asleep. Almost as if she were unable to wake herself. It frightened him to see her this way, but he wouldn't tell her this the next morning. In fact he allowed her to fuss over him as they got ready that morning. She tried her best to tame his wild curls and though the brush scraped his scalp he tried to stifle his displeasure. Besides today was a special day. His whole class was graduating from exploratory learning. She smiled at him when she thought he was looking, and when she thought he wasn't her face was cast down.

He proudly gathered himself in front of the mirror, since it was a special day they got to wear something special rather than their typical uniforms. Anakin had pulled images from his grandmother's mind, not always on purpose but it helped the young boy form a daring ensemble from his trunk of clothes for that day. He must have been exceedingly handsome because his mother dropped her gloves upon seeing him. His pants were a deep navy tucked into his brown school boots, and he work a dressy button up white shirt with a black vest over it. Success! A small smile formed in the corner of her mouth. But… she still looked sad. He ran to hug her.

"You'll be at the ceremony right?" He looked up at her still in the tight embrace.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything." She tucked a wild curl behind his ear, "I'm sure Poe will be very excited to hear your determination to be a pilot."

They walked into the hall together. Anakin stopped looking at her outreached hand, while wanting to please her he had his own plans in mind, "I'm seven now mama I can walk myself to class." He took off like a shot unwilling to hear a response, and surprisingly she let him go. He took a sharp turn and came face first into a body.

"Woah! Hey buddy wheres the fire?" the body was Poe's. Anakin took a step back a bit dazed, happy to see Poe, but now his plan was in trouble. He watched Poe lean around the corner, "Where's your mother?" That was always his question.

"I'm walking myself to school today. Mama said I could." The boy replied. Poe gave him a questioning expression.

"In case you forgot bud. School is that way." Poe pointed to the hall behind them. Poe started walking with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Poe always seemed to know when Anakin was up to something, and it made him wonder if that's what a father would usually be like. Anakin felt confident Poe was the kind of adult that wouldn't shy away from hard answers, or bend the truth to make the world seem less scary.

"Who is Kylo Ren?" his voice was almost a whisper- in fear of asking. Poe was quiet for a moment and the only sound in the hall were their boots against the floor.

"A bad person." Was the pilot's reply. Anakin nodded,

"I knew that. He's the one giving mama the bad dreams." This rocked Poe to a halt and in turn Anakin stopped with him.

"How do you know that?" he asked bending down to meet Anakin's eyes. The boy shrugged his shoulders- a very honest answer. He didn't know. The name entered his mind as often, but he had been unable to pinpoint where the information had come from. Poe repeated his question with an imploring tone.

"Sometimes… I just…. know things." Anakin replied with another shrug, "Like I know you and mama like-like each other even though you won't say so." His voice pouted near the end.

Poe looked away from him scratching his stumble ridden cheek trying to hide a half-cocked smile. The pilot plodded a hand on Anakin's head rustling through his hair.

"Hey! Mama spent all morning on my hair!" the boy cried in frustration.

They continued towards his classroom.

"So where were you going?" Poe asked as they reached the classroom door.

"Well… there are these yellow flowers mama likes that grow by the water fall. I thought after the ceremony that I'd give them to her." This was so apart of his plan so he wasn't lying to Poe, but it wasn't the entirety of the truth. Anakin looked in on his half-full classroom, "I better go."

Poe smiled, "I'll see you at the ceremony bud. Behave yourself until then." He gently patted his head trying to undo some of the damage he had done earlier to the boy's mop of hair.

Anakin waved anxiously waiting for the pilot to be well enough away. He excused himself from the teacher to use the lavatory- also not a lie- plotting was very hard on his bladder. In the hillside capital, still under construction it was easy for a small boy to pass by the gaze of hundreds of workers, guards, and every day people. They had their own lives to worry about. Anakin knew he was going in the right direction somehow he just knew each turn would lead him to the prison cells where this monster was kept. The monster haunting his mother. He peaked the corner to see two guards in front of a blast door. One was his best friend, Snaps, father. The other he didn't know, but a voice gave him the confidence he needed to approach the guards. Snap's father immediately recognized him,

"Ani! Whatcha doin down here? Shouldn't you be preparing for the big day?"

The other guard stood sentient. Anakin's body shuttered and his brain tingled. He looked at both of the guards.

"You will open the door." He was so sure of himself as the words floated into their ears.

* * *

 **-** **I seriously adore all the continued reviews!**


	21. Misdirection

_Anakin hated hiding in the command center especially after his grandmother passed. The adults were all rather faceless to him, and every time his mother would leave the stronghold he hugged her with a fierce grip, but she still went anyway. Every time she left there was a rumbling energy in the air, but when she came back there was thunderous applause. The boy's mind would whisper evil things to him; like she wasn't going to come back._

 _This time it was particularly scary. The mountain rocked and shook. The Nubian advisors monitored space pirates bombing them. He knew when adults looked concerned things were not okay. It was the longest night Anakin could remember even more so when the power gave a great shutter leaving them in utter darkness. He huddled in the corner gripping on to his knees just praying for his mama to come back-; nothing else to him mattered._

 _The next morning he woke in their home, in his own bed, and the power restored. He met his mother's gaze and he leapt from the bed stumbling under his five year old legs. She met him with hug.  
_ " _Mama!" he started to cry letting all his fears flow out with the tears. She held him until he his heaving crying breathes subsided.  
_ " _Where you scared Ani?" she asked a pulling bit away to address him._

 _He nodded wiping snot on his sleeve. She smiled at him gently taking a comforting hand through his bushy hair,_

" _The galaxy is full of scary things Ani, but mama is always here to protect you."  
_ " _Wha…" the boy hiccupped, "Wha bout when your not?"_

 _His mother bit her lip in thought, and then smiled again, "Would you like me to show you how to hide from the scary things?"_

 _Anakin nodded; hide from scary things and spend more time with mama._

* * *

Calliope walked hand and hand with Poe as they came to the ceremony space that was jam packed with other parents and family members. People greeted Calliope with small head bows of respect. Rose perked up after drearily looking at a clipboard,

"Well about time."

She looked over at Finn who must have lost something to her because he was momentarily frustrated but gave them a classic Finn smile as they came closer. Leia was stationed at the front in a wheelchair next to Rey were talking intimately. They approached and Poe could feel goosebumps trigger in her skin.

"Calliope." Leia held out her hand for the girl when they arrived at the very first row, "It brings me so much happiness to see your face."

"I'm sorry I spent so much time away from everyone…" Cali replied. Leia waved her hand, let by gones be so.

Poe could feel a weight lift out of Calliope in the form a smile. They sat down together. Rey mentioned that she completed her saber and was excited to show her. The group  
talked as if nothing had ever happened between them all. It was comforting  
especially for the two mothers of the group.

"Ani walked himself to school today." Calliope announced. Leia grinned saying that it was an important step for him.

Poe couldn't help but chuckled, "I escorted him after about twenty feet away from your door. "He shifted in his seat as the music flared for the start of the ceremony, "He was going to get you some yellow flowers."

Calliope's hand tore into Poe's arm forcing him to face her. Her face was in a pure panic,

"What did you say!"

Poe sat up more, "He was going to get those yellow flowers you like!" he thought maybe she hasn't heard him over the loudspeaker. Calliope took off towards were the young children were gathered, and Poe leapt to follow. She searched frantically among the  
small bobbing heads.

"Cali! What's going on?" the pilot demanded.

Her desperate search of the children was for naught. She turned to him, "Ani only brings me flowers after he's done something bad."

Poe grabbed the male teacher by the collar, caring not in the slightest that he and Calliope were now a spectacle to the rest of the Naboo,

"I dropped Anakin off this morning! Where did he go?"

The teacher stumbled on words. There was no time for this and the pair raced towards the door. Calliope slammed into Captain Mangus Snap. The man had a black eye and was beside himself,

"My Queen! The other guard Mars he-he knocked me out the-the prisoner!"

Calliope didn't stay for the rest she bolted racing towards the hangar on the far side of the capital. Rey and Finn caught up with Poe.

"What's going on?" Rey yelled keeping pace with him.

"Ren's escaped!" in one breath, "Ani's missing!" in another.

* * *

A loud thump shocked both Kylo Ren and Anakin. The other guard, the one Anakin had not known, stepped into the hall. The boy looked up at the guard ready to speak, but suddenly was flinched into silence. The guard stepped up to the bio-encrypted padlock on the cell door.

"Hey! That's my mom's!" Ani yelled seeking the glove come out of the guard's pocket.

The man ignored the boy turning the glove inside out and placing it eloquently on the scanner. Kylo Ren stepped away as the bars descended into the ground.

"I like your new outfit Ren must have cost you an arm." The familiar voice jested. Ares lifted up his head with a cocky grin, "We can save the thank you's for later, but I believe we only have a short window to get out of here."

His son was shrinking away ready to bolt away from them, but Kylo froze him in place. He could feel the pure terror cycling through the boy. Ares sighed,

"Are we really taking the kid?" there was a momentary pause as Kylo Ren actually had to put in effort to make the boy pass out, "I'm not carrying him." Ares began out of the hall.


	22. Familial Love

They arrived in the hangar to see a foreign refugee craft part the waterfall. Poe, Rey and Finn followed as Calliope ran straight for the spiraling stairs leading up to outside. The Nubian air moving aside just for her. Her hand was curled outward a pure fury in her eyes. The force outstretched from her to the back of the craft. It's engine shuttered. The pilot, scavenger, and former trooper stood back in awe. The ship was halted almost breaking the atmosphere of the planet, pulling against the invisible grip, and yet unable to continue forward. Around Calliope the ground began to crackle and a vortex began swirling counter clockwise. She let out a tormented scream so guttural and filled with mania it frightened the trio behind her. They had never witnessed something so purely driven as a mother's love- the real well that Calliope was pulling this immense power from. Tears were blinding her but she still held on. She had them, and they were not leaving this planet. One of the engines on the craft began to buckle. Poe raced in front of her,  
"You have to let go!" He yelled.

She ignored him letting the well of grief fuel her reach. How dare he take her son! She should have ended him. How weak she felt now in the decision to let him live. The vortex around her grew, and Poe put up his hand to defend his face from flying specks of rock and dirt. "If you don't let go Ani will get hurt! The engine will buckle and implode!"  
Calliope still held on but her grip laxed. Two forces came from the ship pushing against her. Kylo Ren's voice trickled in her head, "Come and get him." before a final resistant push from the ship compelled Calliope to the ground. The ship was gone, gone to hyperspace and her boy upon it. There was a tense silence one that Rose would break with her awkwardness if she were there. Each of them wanted to comfort her, but they all stood silent unsure of what words they could possible muster. She finally looked up at Poe.  
"You talk of a spark … a flame burning down the First Order," Calliope stood scraping her nails against year old scars making them longer and deeper, " Ren just added jet fuel to that flame." She gritted her teeth together and wiped the blood running from both of her nostrils.

* * *

Ren laid the boy down taking a hesitant brush through his hair. The strength that woman had..that it took both Ares and himself to dispel her grasp upon them-; it was nothing Kylo Ren had ever experienced before. It was surreal. Ares joined him after they successfully entered hyperspace. The Knight leaned against the hall.

"So uh...I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here and say that's your and Nyx's kid."

Kylo Ren couldn't help the instant roll of his eyes,

"What were you doing on that planet?"

"Keeping tabs on the rise of the resistance. I came in with a group of Hosnian refugees. Then they dragged your sorry ass in and I got a call from Hux calling us all back to base." Ares wasn't afraid to speak as he did blunt and abrasive, and Kylo had more pressing matters on his mind.

"Hux abandoned me and when we get there I'm going to execute him very ….very publicly." his voice curled with indignation.

The craft lurched from hyperspace.

"My destroyer is just ahead. Well hop in, and head out."

Kylo nodded, "Alert the medic I want a full swing when I take off his head."

Ares nodded departing for the cockpit. The hand Kylo had rested on his son's head tingled. A fiery sensation worked up to his brain and the ship before him faded from view.

 _He breathed in. The surrounding air entered his nostrils filling them with a stale and stagnant sting. Opening his eyes weak filtered light from the ceiling. Anakin was tapping his fingers boredly against a table. Hours passed before his mother entered through the door. She noticed his forlorn disposition, and after scooping the small child into her arms._

 _"Shall I send you off to bed with an exciting bedtime story?"_

 _He followed as they hunkered in a tiny bunk snuggled into a patched quilt._

 _"So what story would you like to hear?"_

 _There was a small pause as the boy pondered._

 _"...i have a ...papa don't I?" The boy looked up at her the best he could, "Snaps has one."_

 _Kylo Ren watched her forming what she was about to say next. He waited for her to say that he was dead. That would have been an easy explanation. She brushed through his hair softly before replying,_

 _"You-re papa…." She almost choked on the words, "Stayed.. where I couldn't."_

 _"But why?"_

 _She took a moment of thought, "Well you see….. he is… trapped in a system far far away where's there's no sun or stars, so it's hard to find your way out."_

 _He was thrown off by this kind envisionment she had given the boy._

 _"Couldn't you save him mama? You save people all the time." the boy's guileless voice tore through him._

 _The woman bit her lip, "I don't think… he wants to be saved." She kissed the top of his head hiding away the raw sadness from him that their family would never be whole._

 _At the same moment this vision of Anakin and himself wondered what it would have been like to be in each other's lives._

 _"Papa!" Anakin's voice made him turn and they were suddenly in a field of soft swaying grass. The boy came instantly into his arms. He hoisted his son up with a smile. There was a strange alien feeling welling up inside of him as the boy jabbered on telling him all about his day and what he had learned._

 _"There's my boys." Calliope appeared over the hill her skin like seamless marble and her eyes without torment. She smiled at them. A genuine smile not wicked-sarcastic or faked. He found himself smiling back with the same sincereness._

 _"Then grandpa said I could fly the-!" the boys excited voice pulled Kylo from the image._

 _No…... It wouldn't have been like this. Han Solo would never have been a grandfather. They wouldn't be frolicking on a temperate planet…. If Calliope hadn't escaped…._

 _The beautiful plain turned into a training pit with Kylo peering over it. Snoke loomed over the other side barking at the boy to get back up. Anakin wiped the tears from his purple and yellow peppered eyes. Seven years old and he was already training with three other children all of whom were reminiscent of the other Knights. One of the boys stout and well rounded had piercing violet eyes. This boy was relentless against Anakin, but his son no matter how beaten or injured… got back up until Anakin slammed down his full weight on the stout boys arm. The bone's snap echoed in the room, and the other children shrunk away in fear._

 _Balor's sickening voice slithered into Kylo's ear,_

 _"Count your blessings Ren. Once my kid gains another year your's won't be top dog anymore, and I'll have another shot" The repulsive man adjusted his trousers, "If ya know what I mean."_

Kylo Ren wrenched himself from the visions completely. It wouldn't be like that either… He was Supreme Leader now and he made all the decisions. His mother would come for their son, and Kylo would make it abundantly clear…. They could be a family.

* * *

 **Oh the twist and turns I have in store my dears!**


	23. Becoming a Parent

_Calliope was afraid. For the first time in perhaps her young life actual raw fear. The dark side and Snoke paled in comparison to this. The contractions rippling through her body were worse than any pain she had sustained in training or any wound from battle. Each scream rocked the naboo's campsite._

" _Just breathe," her mother's voice cooed. Calliope clutched her hand with a powerful grip, "You're doing so well Sunset."_

 _Calliope cried; cried from the pain, cried for the fact she was reunited with her mother, cried for the fact her mother had been accepting of her and used the pet name she'd been called as child. It had been nineteen hours of this intensity tearing at her body. The medics were frantic urging her to push now, then breathe, then push. She grew intensely angry at all of the people who put her in this agony which meant she was angry ultimately at herself more than Ben Solo or Supreme Leader Snoke._

 _In the last hour one medic stepped forward suggesting they cut the child out. Sosha Soruna was mortified by this suggestion._

" _Yes." Calliope's voice was weak and etched with pain, "Do it." She demanded gathering some form to her voice._

" _We have nothing to numb it." The doctor admitted holding the knife in hand._

 _A tremor of pain made her yell, "DO IT!"_

 _It was jarring how the ugliness of the open flesh was negated by the beautiful cry of a baby. He was pink and small with a full head of black locks. The babe cried as it was passed around in the doctor's arms; they cut the cord, cleaned him, and wrapped him while his mother was being sewed up. He cried until Calliope reached out of for him, and then there was a blissful silence. Sosha smiled combing back her daughter's sweaty bangs,_

" _What's his name?"_

 _Calliope didn't look at her. She wasn't even looking at the child. The girl was looking off to the side as if someone else was with them._

" _Anakin...his name is Anakin."_

* * *

She entered the Millenium Falcon, ..alone. She primed all the necessary ignitions and strapped herself in. Everything was quiet even the hum of the ship was on a low register. She took a moment to clear her head. Was this really the plan? She'd been up for 48 hours straight fighting for this plan. The girl let her mind open, "Ben where are you?"

"You're oddly calm." his voice replied before his form appearing in the co-pilot's chair.

There was a deep breath,

"You told me to come and get my son, so I am."

"Our son!" He snapped.

She gripped a hand on the arm rest, and bottled down the response she wanted to say. Her anger would get her nowhere.

"Just tell me he's okay."

The man nodded before answering her very first questions, "You know where the base is." his voice and form trickled out.

"You tell him I'm on my way."

She gave a hard swallow before entering in coordinates into the hyper drive.

* * *

Something felt strange to Kylo Ren as he pulled away from Calliope's image. He disregarded it as the Delirium exited hyperspace and the planet Kerror came into view. Kerror, the most heavily guarded First Order planet. Also the most inhospitable; not that it mattered to the Order. Anakin was looking out the view port an intense curiosity in his eyes. It made Ren think…

"Anakin." The name felt strange in his mouth and the boy hesitantly turned hearing his father say his name, "Have you ever been… off planet before?"

The boy shook his head, "Never been on a spaceship before. Well…. big spaceship. Poe let me fly in his fighter, but we didn't tell mama. She doesn't want me to be a pilot."

He flinched at the familiar name jealousy swelling throughout him; someone else had been teaching his son how to pilot and worst of all it was that scum Poe Dameron.

"Would you like to learn how to fly a different kind of ship?" He felt an odd sense of connection that he could draw upon. Anakin shrugged his shoulders; the boy was truly unsure how to presently feel. They walked together through the destroyer to the hangar where a command vessel was waiting for them. Ares was waiting for them on board.

"How do you like having a mini you?" the knight asked with a grin. He was ignored.

Ren sat Anakin in the pilot seat despite the actual pilot's dismay and gave his son simple instructions on priming the ignition, initiating flight sequence, and take off from the hangar. The vessel's crew watched the seven year old boy do each step with a fluid ease; a natural. He could feel the boy's heart pulsate as the craft left the hangar. They were in space, nothing above them, nothing below them. No assurance of landing until they reached the atmosphere of Kerror. Ren put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, and the pulse relaxed ever so slightly. The ship's pilot had to take over as they broke the planet's storm raged atmosphere. Harsh pellets of rain thrashed against the ship. Anakin was again looking out the view port, but there was nothing to see. Aside from the base the First Order had built there Kerroc was a wasteland. When they landed Kylo Ren felt a strange presence in the force turning his stomach over; something wasn't right.

"Commander Kit," Ren addressed the man in charge of the craft, "This is my son he and this unit will stay on this ship until I return."

"Understood sir." the man replied.

Ares raised an eyebrow,

"Well that's foreboding." The two men departed the ship greeted by nine battalions of Stormtroopers, and Kylo Ren's left hand gave an empty grab for his saber… it was back with her.

* * *

 **I put something hidden in plain sight in this chapter... muahahahahahahhahaha**

 **love you all**


	24. Under Attack

The Millenium Falcon entered the Kerror system. She took deep calming breaths, but those in no way helped her palpitating heart. Two tie-fighters approached. She pressed the communication line, "I'm expected."  
"Center yourself between us and we'll escorted you through the planet's atmosphere."One of the pilots buzzed over the line.  
The Falcon was taken to a large hangar inside the planet's base. She landed leaving the shields up, and sliding a black cross guarded hilt underneath her clothes.  
"Here we go.." and pressed for the ramp to release. Kylo Ren wasn't there to greet her which she found odd, but descended nevertheless.

"Well, well what Ares said was true." A tall handsome man with broad shoulders addressed her, "Your alive."

"O-obviously." She replied.

The man nodded giving her a look up and down, "You've certainly changed."

"Well, you haven't, Camulus. " the woman snapped. The man chuckled producing wrist cuffs,  
"Come on the Supreme Leader is waiting."

Without hesitation she resigned to the cuffs, and a heavily armored trooper flanked each of her sides as Camulus led the way. As the blast door opened she let out an audible gasp from the three horrors in front of her.

Ben was on both of his knees. His face bloodied peppered with yellow and purple bruising skin. Ben was in so much pain his complexion ashen. He met her eyes with an utter expression of regret retaining tears in his sulken eyes. His ankles were shackled together. A robotic arm lay a few feet away. The other Knights of Ren stationed around the room.

This frightening unfortunate sight was eclipsed by the disfigured creature lording over the room. His upper half was just as when she'd last seen him disfigured-scared-leathery robed in gold however eight metal legs protruded from the lower half.

"Snoke…" the name came out of her in a rasp.

He wore a wicked evil grin on his scared deformed face.

"Well… well." His voice boomed. Ben looked at her with utter regret containing his tears in his eyes. The octopal-man moved forward. "Young mother of darkness come back from the dead." He chuckled.

The third and worst horror was Anakin being held captive by Hux's grip. The boy was sniveling, and had been visibly struck. He wanted to call out to his mother but in fear cowered.

She took further steps into the room keeping her eyes on Snoke-focusing ever so vigilant,  
"It appears the both of us have come back from the dead, however I think you're a little more damaged than I." acknowledging the half machine keeping the creature alive and mobile, "Ben certainly did a number on you."

"Oh, how I certainly did miss out banter my dear girl, but I'm afraid that time has come to a definite end." Snoke relayed motioning a hand. The Knights readied their weapons. "Don't damage her too much. The geneticist will still need to harvest her eggs."

It was then the cuffs fell from her hands like they were never truly there, and Kylo Ren's lightsaber was ignited. The Supreme Leader chuckled reaching out a hand. The saber did not move.

"Tell me what's going to happen to Anakin!" She demanded. Ben eyed her stangley calling her son by name like that. The Knight's hesitated on approach as the Supreme Leader gestured to stop.  
"He'll learn the greatness of the dark side of course, and all its power. He will soon remember you as a small blimp in his history."  
"No! Mama" the boy was silenced by a shift abuse from Hux.

This caused both she and Ben to flinch. Snoke motioned the Knights to continue to approach, and she drew closer and closer to Ben. She slammed the saber between his ankle shackles and he while injured scrambled to his feet the best he could.

"Wait!" She yelled causing the Knights to halt again, "I want to say something."

Snoke sighed, "I've had enough talk. Finish them."

Then…

Calliope's image fell revealing a sun kissed girl with a three tiered bun.  
"The scavenger!" Snoke screamed in outrage his eight metallic legs each slamming against the ground.

Ben looked at Rey with intense disbelief, took his saber from her outstretched hand and then yelled at his son.  
"Anakin! What do you do when your scared!" there was a confused pause, "When your mother isn't around!"

The boy had a moment of thought before kicking Hux in the balls so his hands would release from his shoulders, and after a mere second of concentration vanished into thin air.

"Find the boy!" the octopal creature sneered. Hux began waving his hand around the air searching for a body.

Surrounding Ben in a circle were six other people all armored and weaponized that fell from the veil of shadow; one was the traitor storm trooper FN2187 who picked up his robotic arm,  
"I think you'll need this."

A First Order captain ran into the room, "SUPREME LEADER TWELVE RESISTANCE CRUISERS JUST ENTERED OUR ATMOSPHERE. WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Hux recovered from his attacker, "Impossible! Our planetary shields!"

"Are bio encrypted and grant all commanding DNA access." The voice came from behind the captain who fell over unconscious, "You should really keep your DNA files updated." Calliope entered the room dusting off her grey cape with the flick of the wrist.

* * *

 **I hope you all understand the thing hidden in plain sight. In the scene between Ben and "She" I never once said it was Calliope. We're getting near the end my dears, however, I have a lot in store a prequel to this and perhaps... a sequel who knows!**

 **Love you all... you are all wonderful individuals!**


	25. Defending What's Ours

It was Rey's idea, and Calliope couldn't really believe it.

"Let me use my connection with Ben to trick him. I know I can do it."

To connect with that snake and make him believe that she was on her way alone and determined. Rey would distract him as long as possible going on the notion that Calliope's DNA overrides would still work on whatever uninhabitable planet Ren ran to, probably Kerroc, but Calliope would slip in and lower all shields and anti-air assault weapons. Poe would sweep in with bombers and enough squadrons to bomb out whatever hole they were hiding in.

Calliope looked up at her exhilarated expression, having cried all of her tears, "Rey, even if you could I don't think I could hide all of us."

"You just kept a two ton spacecraft from leaving the atmosphere." Poe rubber the hand she staunchly had a hold of, "I think you can do it."

"This is a huge risk going on the hope that they didn't clear my fingerprints from the system." She looked sullen at her feet.

"If all we have is hope then I say were well off." Leia's voice rang over the disparaging cloud in the room." _If all we have is hope then I say were well off." Leia's voice rang over the disparaging cloud in the room. The General briskly walked over without the use of her cane, "I will command the cruisers, and we will get Anakin back."_

 _The two mother's gave each other a smile, a smile of connection and one of determination. Calliope stood up, "Scramble the fleet. Rey, come with me."_

 _24 hours later._

 _The girls stood outside the Falcon. Their day of practice was near perfect._

" _It's like looking in a mirror." Calliope softly grinned from her shadowed dimension, "Now after you connect with him, just let me into your mind and it'll not only look like me. It'll be me."_

 _Calliope turned to the small squadron she was hiding with her, "I need everyone else to remain as still as possible. Keeping you in this state takes a lot of energy and the less you move the easier it will be." They all hesitantly nodded. "When we land. I want you in proximity to Rey so if she's in immediate danger you can cover her. I don't know how this going down, so you might have to make on the fly choices." Calliope held out Ren's saber to Rey, "Give Finn yours. That way there not really taking anything from you."_

 _They exchanged the sabers, and with a collective deep breath…_

 _She entered the Falcon alone._

Snoke's nostrils flared taking in a huge breath before screeching, "END THEM!"

Finn threw Rey her saber who activated the double sided staff. Finn, Rose, and Chewy began shooting troopers who had waited for the Supreme Leader's command before firing. Calliope slowly approached Rey and Ben keeping eyes on the Knights of Ren on the other side of the room. They had all primed their weapons. Camulus had a long ionized staff. Ares two dueling blades. The twin brother's boasted kyber resistant batons. Calliope ignored them looking at the duo before her,

"From what I've seen I think you can handle this lot on your own." She looked up at Snoke, "That monster is mine."

Rey nodded anxiously twirling the staff in her hand. Calliope put a hand up to silence whatever was about to come out of Ben's mouth, "Save it Solo." and she leapt up to the platform in which Snoke rested upon. She met eyes with the demon.

"You threatened my son." The crystal in her hand crackled, "Out of everything you've ever done to me that was your biggest mistake." She held out her opposite hand reflecting a blaster shot from Hux. In this ginger embodied distraction one of Snoke's metal legs swept up clutching her by the waist in a three pronged claw. He raised her up to his level of sight, and penetrated her mind.

 _She was back at the temple. The flames licking the air and the stench of iron lingering. Ben Solo turned to her with a feverous expression._

" _Join me." Less a suggestion than a command._

" _No." Calliope whispered and a swift saber slash rippled through her body._

"If you were truly the good willed person you think you are… this is what would have happened. You would be dead only with the rest of the students who chose the light." Snoke's voice ricocheted through the space in her mind, "But you aren't that beam of light that all jedi are … no… you were so much more."

 _Now she stood above a pile of bodies; her very first mission. Snuff out the resistive natives of Lyra Minor, so the Order could drill for a mineral of kyber quality. Pride enveloped her as the mission which Kylo Ren had failed she had succeeded._

"You were so absolute. Never were you conflicted. Never did you question me because you were born to do this. You were born for this."

 _There was another change. Calliope now stood above a tank with an olive like spec suspended in a thick almost tissue like liquid. A middle aged woman stood over the tank on the other side next to a man similar to her. The woman had beautiful mahogany waves and fair skin although all her refined clothes and jewelry couldn't hide how aged she was._

" _Don't be embarrassed child." A robed elderly man entered the room, "You wouldn't have survived such a raw power in a natural birth, not at your age."_

" _Father." The woman instantly bowed her head, "We weren't expecting you."_

 _Emperor Skeeve Palpatine drew next to her after force slamming the man into a bow. He waved a decrepit wrinkled hand over the tank._

" _Yes… she will be the one."_

 _The woman sniffled, "She will make it past eight months won't she? Ekons says she'll be just like all the others."_

 _Emperor Palpatine nodded, "Ignore you're disappointment of a brother. She will live and become an instrumental tool for our cause."_

 _Ekons scowled, "This was my idea fath-." The Emperor stopped him mid-sentence sucking the air from his lungs, "Be gone you unmitigated mistake. I have no use of you."_

 _The Emperor turned to the woman, "Nyx, my dear you must make preparations."_

"How right my father was." Snoke's voice pulled away from the image, "You were a useful tool."

Calliope looked up at the man who now claimed to be her blood uncle. He thought he was clever and that she would so enthralled by his visions that she could not act outside of them. The visions didn't move her- it didn't phase her- it didn't paralyze her as he had intended.

"He was right." Calliope's kyber crystal had been hovering over Snoke's forehead sine he had taken them into the mindscape, "You're a disappointment." And the crystal dug through his skull.

His screams rang over all the noise emitting from the battle below and he fought against it. Calliope felt the metal claw strengthen against her as they battle for control of the laser rock. The claw was going to pinch her in half if it didn't squeeze the breath out of her first. There was a long mechanical hiss from below the apparatus keeping Snoke together. The leg holding her detached from Snoke's body and she fell to the ground. Anakin was holding a tube that he'd yanked from the bottom of the machine. Calliope pried the claws away from her and ran to her boy scooping him up getting out of the way for the rest of the legs to collapse, and the mechanism keeping the creature alive to buckle. Snoke was no more, and the crystal left a hole in his brain to make sure of that.

She touched his hair, his face, his arms checking each bone rapidly before clutching him close to her. When she pulled away she noticed his nose flared and his eyes dead set upon something behind them. The seven year old boy held Hux in a force grip while holding a blaster shot mid-air. Armitage Hux grasped at his throat.

"Ani, let go." Calliope moved them away from the blaster shot. The boy remained focused,

"He hurt me. He wanted to hurt you." Anakin's teeth scraped together in anger. She stared at him in a moment of awe. He was already surpassing her when she was at his age. Calliope put herself in his view kicking the blaster that had fallen from Hux's hands away,

"Anakin Soruna you know right from wrong."

A deep heave came from the General and he fell to the ground cursing them before going unconscious. She rubbed his shoulders in comfort, "I need you to hide again and stay put okay?" The boy nodded, hugging his mother before vanishing seamlessly.

Calliope looked down upon the mayhem, touching her ear piece, "General Dameron, General Organa how's that air assault coming?" There was only static in reply. She jumped down. Ben was engaged with Ares though they were hardly attacking each other. Camulus was splayed on the floor. Shinto and Shen Cha were paired with Rey who held them off expertly. Calliope put a single finger to her throat; this was a long shot but it would at least work on the troopers. The force pushed her voice through the air amplified for all to hear, "YOU WILL ALL PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS."

Ares duel blades were the first to clash against the ground followed by storm trooper blasters like a hard rain against tin. Shinto and Shen Cha continued to clash with Rey, but they slowed down in curiosity until the realization of their demise caught up with them. Finn and Chewy began collecting the weapons. Rose had been hit in the leg and was sitting against the wall putting pressure on it. Ben knocked out the remaining knights. The blast door remained closed but what laid beyond them? Could eight stand a chance against the battalions waiting for them? There was radio silence.

Rey approached her,

"What do we do?"

"We could lock down the blast doors and wait? I don't have the energy to hide us all again. I can't."

"Patience then." Ben joined them. Calliope raised a hand to strike him in anger, but dropped it. He took their son. She took his arm. Continuing the abuse wouldn't make it any better.


	26. The End

Poe paced in front of his N-1 Star fighter newly painted black with orange stripes. BB-8 was latched in ready for the ship to go. He did not like this plan. Originally yes he had encouraged it, but now that it sat with him the plan twisted in his stomach knotting and unknotting incessantly. So many many different things could go wrong. First of which being that they would be caught and killed.

"Poe I can feel your worry all the way over here." Her voice came through his ear piece, "And I'm six systems away."

"Right, uh, sorry." Poe replied. His stomach turned for a different reason, "Hey-uh- Cali… if.. I mean when you get back. When all this is over…"He nervously paused, "Well I mean what I want to say is or the question i-s"

"Dameron keep the line clear." Leia's voice chimed in command.

"Yes ma'am." He embarrassingly rubbed his face even though neither of the woman were present with him.

BB-8 chirped at him.

"Yeah, yeah I should done it before. Mr. Know-it-all." The pilot sighed. He was going to do it the day of Anakin's graduation and between then and now there was no good time. That is what was eating at him. The chance to never ask her to spend the rest of their lives together… especially since he didn't know if either of them were going to have lives today. He had a horrible thought concerning Leia's command 'screw it' and he was about to speak when Calliope's voice fizzled over the comms in broken words,

"Shields-… down…-Reb-….."

The cruiser instantly jumped into hyper space and Poe into his fighter. Took out his comm line to put on his helmet,

"Black squadron stay tight, and don't let any bastards get behind you."

"You got it black leader!" Sabe's voice came through.

Kerroc came into view and black squadron bolted from the hangar to the planet's atmosphere.

"Shields are down. Let's hope the air assaults are offline." Poe commented seeing four large cannons fixed on the fighters as they descended into the planet. The cannons remained motionless. "Gold and White squads head on down! Approach the Falcon's beacon." To be sure they wouldn't come back online black squadron bombed out the cannons. Poe stuffed the comm back into his other ear.

"Cali, are we clear to come in?"

"There's something blocking communications." Leia relayed. Gold and White Squadron joined him. White squadron were all ground troop carriers.

"Alright… follow me in!" Poe dove low into the hangar taking blind shots inside the enemy lines. The N-1 blasters hit a rack of Tie-fighters causing a domino explosion. He gave cover to the ground troops as they rushed out of their transports. The pilot knew he should turn back outside, but BB-8 was already preparing the landing gear. "Sabe, you're in charge out there. Keep the skies clear." He threw off his helmet and jumped out bringing a rifle blaster with him. The surrounding storm troopers were scrambling into formation but the rebels were already primely positioned. Green bolts hammering against the rebels. Red bolts slamming against the First Order.

* * *

Calliope paced in front of the blast door. Her kyber crystal following her every move. Finn sat patching up Rose's leg and Rey rewired Ben's arm as he had slap-jobbed it on to himself. Anakin finally appeared with some blood dripping from his nose. Ben got up tearing away from Rey's fidgeting with his arm. He leaned down and wiped away the blood.  
"Anakin, I-i." he struggled with words, what could he say to this injured boy, for bringing him here for causing all of his pains. He couldn't think of anything quite quick enough before the boy hugged him.

"You found your way back." Anakin gripped on to his father. Ben met eyes with Calliope who was looking upon minds connected; " _Thank you." Ben reached out to her. "For what?" she wearily replied. "I know what you told him about me." he answered.  
_ " _I told m-...our son nothing less than the truth."_ Calliope turned her attention as the blast door lock gave an warning. Someone was trying to hack their way in. The troopers Chewy guarded grew restless. Rey got to her feet ignited her saber. Ben stood positioning himself between Anakin and the door. Calliope brought her crystal forward forming into a broad shield before her.

There was only the deafening sound of their heart beats and the locks simultaneous clicks as they became unhinged.

…

Calliope planted her feet ready to charge the moment the door opened. The two part door receded and she lifted her right foot to attack, but she met two deep brown eyes.  
"Poe!" the crystal instantaneously deactivated but she had already pushed herself of finto a leap.

"Cali!" He dropped his blaster to catch her. She looked up at him with such surprise and so many questions but the pilot didn't want to answer any of them as he kissed her. The anxiety lifted from him as they were centered in the kiss. She was in his arms, alive.

"Escape now, kiss later!" Finn yelled aiding Rose limp up.  
Poe pulled away, "Escape?" the pilot gave them all a grin, "No need to escape when the enemy surrenders unconditionally." He looked beyond to the man standing between Cali and Anakin. "You." Poe sneered.

Ben Solo relinquished himself to cuffs as the resistance began rounding up the high ranking officers. He watched Poe and Anakin hug. His jealousy was overshadowed as his mother descended a transport. She spoke with Calliope but kept her eyes on him. They discussed something and Ben stood as they approached with Rey who had clipped his saber to her hip opposite her own.

"Ben Solo," Leia's voice wavered in saying it, "You will remain under the custody of Force Master Rey." the woman took a hand over the cuffs releasing his hands, "She will escort you into exile."  
"Th-thats it?" He managed in overwhelming shock.

"Unless you'd prefer death." Calliope replied with her typical tone of sarcasm.

"I'll never see my son again?" Ben looked past them. Poe had picked up the boy and sat him in a black and orange fighter. Leia looked at Calliope for that answer.

"Anakin is young… when he's older he may decide whether or not he wants to visit his father, but until then yes you won't see him."

He followed Rey into the Millenium Falcon watching the boy who looked so much like him, but was eminently so much more.

"So this is the end." He said hesitating on the ramp.

"Is it though?" Rey gave him a weak smile.

* * *

Epilogue

Everyone but Chewy, Rey, and Ben returned to Naboo. Finn and Rose began assisting the troopers to return to civilian life. Leia aided the construction of the new republic until she peaceably passed without warning. Anakin and Poe had been at her side both taken aback by the General's disappearance from her armchair. Calliope finished her second term as Queen denying the councils protest to keep her in power longer. After leaving the public service she and Poe began their lives together in a small home off in a beautiful hillside in the Nubian countryside not far from the forest where they first met. She relented in Anakin's persistent begging and allowed Poe to teach him how to fly. Rey returned in the Falcon occasionally to visit everyone and replenish on supplies. Anakin would bombard her with questions, and occasionally attempted to sneak on the Falcon to follow her back to his father.

* * *

Ten Years Later

A seventeen year old lanky boy with neatly combed and gelled black waves of hair took timid steps in an attempt at stealth. He adjusted the pack on his back in attempt to stifle the clinking of the bag's contents. First he went past the guest room with his Aunt Rey snoring contently. He looked in on a master bedroom. Two shaped human lumps, his mother and Poe were huddled in the bed together, and in seeing this he continued further down the hall. Each step a hushed creak. An angry flurry of chirps drew him to a halt as he reached the kitchen.  
"BB-8! Please shh!" Anakin scooped down pleadingly to the droid. The droid beeped softly almost depressed. "Come on buddy…It's not like I'm going alone. Snaps is coming with me."

The droid beeped angrily.  
"Yes, yes I know he's an exiled criminal, but he's my dad. I want to know him."

BB-8 gave a undecided sound, but in a flash the droid was hoisted up and they were out the door. Anakin heaved the droid on to the ground far enough away from the house to speak at a normal level. "Elders you're heavy!"

The Millenium Falcon was parked just over the hill. Anakin looked at the droid.  
"Look by the time you run back in there and tell my parents I'll already have the Falcon primed to go, so why don't you just come with? I know you miss adventure." He grinned anticipating BB-8 to give in. However the droid decided to high tail it to the house. Anakin booked it towards the families most cherished ship. The ramp was down meaning Snaps had already made it inside.

"Planning to leave without saying anything were we?"  
His mother's voice drew him to a skidding halt. She was in a haze before the ramp still in her night clothes, arms crossed. Calliope Soruna Dameron had aged well. Poe had convinced her a while ago to stop punishing herself and grow out her hair which now lay in a mahogany twist down to her elbow. Anakin sighed preparing to be disciplined and scorned.

"I hope Nova told her father she was leaving, and didn't sneak out like you." Calliope approached her son with a smile, "Captain Snaps would never forgive us."

Anakin grinned, "So I can go?"

She took her son in her arms, "You're half Solo. Can't keep you grounded forever."

Anakin hugged her back in earnest, "I'll be back."  
"I know." Calliope pulled away giving him a sad smile before her image faded.  
He rushed up the ramp to the cockpit adrenaline pulsating through his veins. A girl with an electric blue pixie cut sat in the co-pilot's chair priming the ignition. She smiled at him as he took the captain's seat.

"Set course for Ahch-to."

The Falcon hovered and Anakin took a long look out at Naboo watching the beautiful greenery disappear from beneath them.

* * *

 **I want to say thank you for all the love this story got, and I hope you all enjoyed it. I wanted to let you know of my up coming stories.  
I wanted to keep this story PG so I kept a lot of what I wanted out to keep it so, however, the prequel "The Knight Nyx" will be rated M because of well sexual content. Tell me what you guys would think of a sequel with Anakin?  
I am also working on two other stories that I'd like you guys to keep an eye out for-; **

**Once and Always-** **Breha Padme Solo, born an agonizing twelve minutes after her brother was quiet the flip side of her twin. Ben often felt alone while their parents were off leading busy lives, but he always had Breha who was a ray of sunshine no matter the situation. This was until they were separated Ben forced to join his Uncle in training. When Kylo Ren heard those words "they were aided by a girl" that's immediately who he anticipated capturing.**

 **Also working on a Harry Potter Fanfic called-; Painting It, Black**

 **Persephone Black approached 13 Grimmauld place with her purchases from Diagon Alley. She wore her honey blond hair in a tight neat bun, and her kitten heels clicked against the cobblestone. Two men stood outside of the house's magical entrance. One was robed in purple that complimented his dark skin. The other wore tattered robes and two distinct scars across his face. She knew the later one; her god father Remus Lupin.  
"Miss Black... your grandmother has passed." The wizard robed in purple started.  
A wave of utter relief washed over her. She dropped everything. That horrid abusive woman was gone. **


End file.
